Nothing to Arceus
by luffysearchesfor1
Summary: A pokemon trainer by the name of Daniel Barsony lives with many things: Guilt, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. The only other person at his side is his best partner, Bisharp. The two of them are within the shadow of Daniel's older brother, treated as outcasts for not being good enough. Their ultimate goal is to defeat Daniel's brother and fix their past mistakes.
1. Chapter 1 Remastered

"Aaaaaaand the Unbeatable Champion wins once more! Give it up for Samuel Barsony folks! The man continues to defend his title! No one can take him down! He is unstoppable, incredible!" The announcer voices from the nearby television, there was a large group of folk hovering around and observing the events. They all cheered, enjoying a good time and sharing laughs amongst one another.

Outside of the crowd was a small child around nine years old, he had short, spiky black hair that protruded upwards. He watched with a gloomy expression plastered on his face as he listened to the people around him, all praising the Champion. Praises included compliments stating that he was "incredible!" "The best pokemon trainer to exist!" "No one can be like him". The boy looked towards the ground in shame, leaving the vicinity and heading off. He walked in a daze, not thinking of anything as his mind was blank and he ignorantly walked forward.

He soon bumped into someone who cursed to themselves as they were hit. The boy was knocked out of his daze, snapping back to reality and looking up to notice he had bumped into one of his neighbors. A older boy who had a buzz cut and was hanging with his group of friends. The older one turned around with an irritated look and his facial expression certainly changed. Upon seeing the black haired boy, he gave out a sour look and mockingly said to him "Oh, would you look who it is! Trash boy Daniel! C'mon guys! Let's all say hi to trash boy Daniel!"

The group of friends began mocking Daniel, chanting said words repeatedly. He wanted to say something but he was so shocked and frightened he couldn't even bring himself to move. Tears swelled up in his eyes and he bolted off, running past them, running away from the laughter. Daniel sobbed as he ran, blindly running forward until he saw a tree and hid behind it. The boy curled up into a ball and cried his eyes out in distress

A honey-blonde girl, only a year and a half older than him, approached the boy. She peered from behind the tree and looked down upon the boy curled up in a ball. "Daniel?" She called to him, moving around in front of the boy and lowering herself down to his level. "It happened again?" Daniel simply nodded his head, not even bothering to look at her.

Daniel called out to her and questioned, "Serena… why? Why do they always laugh at me? I don't understand, I just want everyone to respect me like they do my big brother…" Serena found herself at a loss for words, she knew the answer but felt it wasn't appropriate to respond with it. The simple fact of the matter was that Daniel was nowhere near as good as Samuel who was the unbeatable champion. Samuel was world-renowned for his legendary pokemon which he used to defeat all his opponents, he was truly unbeatable. Serena couldn't afford to just tell it to his face, and she had to come up with something.

"Well, Samuel's just… he's a really good trainer, nothing can stop him but that doesn't stop you, does it? You try your best, despite your failed attempts, you always keep on trying… and, that's something I think makes you better than everyone else. Someday, you might beat him, you just have to keep going like always and eventually, you can do it."

Daniel barely lifted his head, only revealing his eyes and looked upon her. He blushed at the words and slowly brought his head all the way up to look upon her. Her bright blue eyes met with his, she could see the pain everytime she looked at him. "Y-you really mean it…?" Daniel muttered, a glow coming to his eyes.

"Yeah! Now get back up, you have a brother to beat!" Serena cheered, Daniel couldn't resist, the boy got up and cried even more as he hugged his close friend as a sign of appreciation for her support. All she could do is hug back and ease his pain.

She led the way back, she escorted the young boy through the town as the townspeople looked upon the boy with dismay. There was chatter amongst themselves until suddenly, they were stopped by the older boy from earlier and his group of friends. Their "leader" spoke up, "Hey Serena, why are you hanging out with this loser? You should hang out with me! I'm a lot cooler!" The boy rudely exclaimed, Serena looked away, making a "hmph!" sound.

"I can hang out with whoever I want, WHENEVER I want. Now if you'll excuse me, Spencer, I'm busy HELPING a friend instead of bullying them." Serena stated with plenty of sass, taking Daniel by the hand and speed walking past Spencer and his group. The older boy looked back, jaw dropped from shock, he got turned down? Impossible, must be a farce, or so he thought.

Daniel was taken back to his home where his mother brought him within her arms and thanked the young girl for all she's done. She smiled, dismissing it and saying she'd do anything for a friend. She soon had to leave, leaving him by himself.

Several hours had passed until the door to the house opened and in came Samuel Barsony, a thirteen year old boy who had short, brown and spiky hair compared to his younger sibling. "I'm home!" Samuel announced, looking around and noticing his younger sibling sitting on the couch and watching a cartoon on their TV. "Hey bro." He said, hanging up his stuff and leaning on the back of the couch behind his brother and observing the cartoon. "So… how was your day?"

"It was alright" Daniel lied, trying to avoid having his brother get worried but his older brother was smart. Samuel saw through the lie just based off the tone he spoke in, this made him sigh as a result.

"Don't give me that, who was it this time, Spencer and his group?"

"Yeah…" The younger sibling looked down, remembering the harassment from them.

"Man, I swear, I'm gonna have a talk with them right now, or tomorrow if you'd like so you can watch."

"No! I mean… You don't need to…"

"What do you mean? Those jerks are always being mean to you! I can probably get them to shut up if you want me to."

"Don't, you'll embarrass me…"

"Who cares?! My younger bro is being picked on by a bunch of bullies! As your older brother, I need to take action! If you keep on saying no, they'll just keep on laughing at you and the only thing you can do to prove them wrong is just getting stronger. And even then, you'd still have to wait a year to become a pokemon trainer, so better for me to yell at them now and save you the trouble."

"No… don't." Daniel mumbled, this irritated Samuel immensely, causing him to stomp away and moved elsewhere to greet their mother. Daniel felt worse, clenching onto his pants tightly and wincing. His older brothers words echoed through his mind, " _... the only thing you can do to prove them wrong is just getting stronger…_ ", the words continued echoing through his head. It didn't stop, it just kept on repeating until it stopped and he made a decision, he hopped off the couch, turning off the TV and going upstairs to his room. Once entering, he pulled up his backpack and and started putting various belongings inside.

The next day…

Samuel was downstairs, enjoying his cereal he hadn't eaten in so long and overall enjoying being in his own home once more. Across him was Daniel who was slowly eating his breakfast which came across as odd to Samuel but he was aware that one's appetite did change depending on their mood. Their mother had finished cleaning up and took off her apron, moving to the door and turning around to face her children. "Alright, boys, I'll be heading out to do some grocery shopping for you all. Don't let any strangers in and don't leave the house, alright?" The boys both acknowledged their mothers words, she smiled, "I'll bring you guys some ice cream when I get back, sound good?" Samuel became ecstatic, he very much loved ice cream and looked to Daniel to see his reaction. The boy grew a quick smile but it faded faster than it appeared and he had stopped eating at that moment.

The mother got her stuff and left the house, Daniel waited a whole minute before looking at his bowl of cereal and looked upon it with a determined look. He managed to scarf down the entire bowl so quickly it surprised Samuel. The young boy hopped off, running over towards the kitchen to put up the bowl and running upstairs. Samuel was baffled at all this, just what in the world does Daniel think he's doing? The older brother took a break from what he was doing and went up after his sibling. He heard some rustling coming from his room, Samuel made his way there before stopping and watching as Daniel walked out with a backpack. Daniel moved past his older brother quickly, trying to do what he wanted to do in a hurry. "Daniel? What are you doing…?"

Samuel hurried downstairs after Daniel who was already tying his shoes, the young boy dared not to look his older brother in the eye. Samuel exclaimed, "Daniel! Mom said no leaving the house!" The words made the younger one wince in pain but he didn't stop, finishing his shoes and forcefully opening the door. He walked out, trying to slam the door behind him to delay Samuel but he was quicker, managing to stop it and walked outside with his socks. "Daniel! Stop! What are you doing?!" The older boy jogged a bit and grabbed his brother by the arm but it was smacked away.

Daniel had tears streaming down his eyes once more and he yelled, "Don't stop me! Everyone won't respect me until I beat you, I want to win everyone's respect and you said the only way I can do that is if I get stronger! I can't wait another year, I'm going to become a pokemon trainer and get stronger with my pokemon! And some day, I will beat you!" He entered a full sprint, escaping his brother who attempted to pursuit him but couldn't make much distance with his socks on the rocky walkway. This made the older brother get angry, not at Daniel but himself as he clenched his fist and slammed it against a wall.

"It's all my fault… I did this to him…" Samuel murmured, falling to his knees and looked up to the sky as he was swallowed in self-loathing.

Daniel ran, he ran as fast as he could. He knew where the nearest professor was, he wasn't too far from Professor Oak, so it would only take him an hour perhaps to get to his lab. All he had to do was go there and become a trainer, no matter the cost. Everyone in the town looked, he passed by Spencer who looked upon the boy with disgust. He continued running and didn't even realize he had passed Serena, he continued running, even more and suddenly, he had passed his own mother. Daniel didn't stop, he couldn't bare to look or even talk to any of them, not after this. And with his mind set on doing this, he ran off into the distance, never to be seen again…

6 years later…

It was a bright and sunny day in the Kalos region, the skies were somewhat cloudy and everything was beautiful. In Lumiose City, everything was lively, people were moving about enjoying the weather. Inside of a bus that moved through the circular city, families and friends stuck together, holding onto the straps hanging above and sticking close to the window. In the back of the bus however, his face obscured by the dark, was Daniel.

Daniel was 15 years old now, a teenager, he of course had grown taller over the course of six years. His hair had grown to be taller and spikier, so much to the point it fell down to the left somewhat, and his bangs were pointed to the right. He donned a blue hoodie and black sweatpants, but the most noticeable change was his face. Nothing physically but his facial expression was drastically different from that of several years ago. He was emotionless, he started off into space with a blank expression on his face, no emotion in his eyes and he ignored the heat from wearing a hoodie in warm weather. He was nearly invisible to everyone, everyone who had acknowledged him believed him to be a creep and kept their distance, and everyone else simply didn't notice him.

The vehicle came to a halt and the doors opened, everyone flooded out of the bus including the teenager. He simply walked forwards, looking around and noticing posters about his older brother, more propaganda, more praise for his brother and less recognition for him. Daniel looked away from it, mumbling to himself, "enough with this shit…" He walked around until he felt a little weak and decided to grab some food. He found a nice restaurant and took a seat to wait for his order to be taken. He sat there, staring across to the empty seat in front of him and did nothing. He just stared, not a single thought entered his mind, it was all blank. A waitress soon came by with a very cheerful look and came with a pen and pen pad.

As Daniel began to explain his order, a group of men sat nearby, checking out the kind woman in the worst way possible. Once the woman was done taking the order, she turned around and was surprised to see a man in front of her with a mischievous smile. Suddenly, a second man from behind and abruptly smacked her behind as all the man snickered to themselves. The woman protested, raising her voice towards them. Daniel looked at the men, observing the situation and furrowing his brows upon seeing what they had done. "Come on babe, how bout you offer us a better meal? I'll pay you extra if you know what I mean." One of the three men offered.

The waitress continued to object to their desires, they got closer but stopped when they heard someone get up. They looked and saw Daniel had stood up and looked directly at them. "She said no, that was really rude of you. Apologize." The men looked at him irritatingly, the closest one brought up their hand and grabbed ahold of Daniel's neck and lifted him up with ease.

"You got a problem kid? Nobody gets in our way, when we want something, we get it." The man threw the teenager back, making him crash into the table and falling on the chairs which fell over. "Okay tough guy, how bout we settle this with a pokemon battle."

The three men began leaving the restaurant, pulling Daniel by his clothes and dragging him along before tossing him away into the middle of the street. "We'll battle here." one of them said, cars blared and honked their horns with Daniel in the middle of the street, blocking the way.

"This isn't a battle arena." Daniel informed, getting back up and brushing off his clothes.

"Any area is a battle arena, now take out your pokemon, I ain't got time for this."

Daniel complied, taking out his pokemon to release a Bisharp with no arm blades. The man laughed, throwing out a Gallade as the opposing pokemon. The other two men took out their pokemon and surrounded them, pushing everyone away and creating a open area for them to begin battling.

"All right, Gal, shred that puny Bisharp with close combat!" The man announced, the pokemon did as told, charging towards the Dark Steel pokemon and preparing to attack. Daniel said nothing, observing as his Bisharp maneuvered out of the way on his own and keeping his distance. Daniel and his Bisharp had developed a special bond, Daniel had owned Bisharp before he became a trainer, he owned the pokemon since he was only a Pawniard. The two have been together for the longest time and learned to communicate in battle without having to say a word, and they even understood each other language wise as well.

The man mocked Daniel for being too scared to command his pokemon and how he was a bad trainer, unable to properly teach his pokemon. That was not the case, however, but he said nothing, watching his Bisharp in action. Bisharp closed in on Gallade, leaping forward and attempting to spin-kick the opposing pokemon. The attack was successful, and the Dark Steel pokemon managed to kick away the Gallade.

Bisharp was without blades (Save for the head blade and the body), he had none since birth due to a birth defect. Without them, he is unable to perform any of traditional or natural moves a normal Bisharp would know. But he was different, being unable to perform any moves, he has had to rely on practical fighting moves such as punches and kicks to defeat his opponents. It was because of this that Daniel was mocked at such a young age, with a weak pawniard, there was no hope Daniel had at beating his brother.

However, times were different, they've turned their weakness into an advantage, unfortunately for the men. "All right! Gallade, try again, but this time, try to juke that damn reject!" Gallade closed the gap, letting out a flurry of punches but Bisharp predicted the moves, getting another good spin kick to deflect the punches and ultimately strike Gallade. The man cursed, Bisharp kept pushing them back with each attack. He became desperate, glancing over to his two comrades and nodding towards them both. They acknowledged and stood by, waiting. Bisharp figured he had a nice opening, moving in and jumping up to punch down but was stopped. Two projectiles came in from his side and struck Bisharp mid-air. The Dark Steel pokemon was pushed back, bruised and got up to see two other pokemon entering the fray.

The other two men started walking around the perimeter towards Daniel which made him panic. Daniel shouted towards his first opponent, "What the hell?! I thought this was just between us."

The three men answered quickly, "Does it look like we give a shit?" The teenagers eyes widened and he realized what was about to go down yet he couldn't stop it.

Daniel was shoved to the ground where he would get kicked repeatedly by the older men. Bisharp attempted to ward off the other opponents but it became too much for him as he became overwhelmed by his opponents. Both men and their pokemons alike continuously beat and attacked the partners, they tried defending themselves but couldn't and they kept getting hit. They began to get bruised, Daniel curled into a fetal position like he did in his younger days and protected his face as the endless kicks kept on coming. Daniel began to cry, the tears streamed down his face as he was hit back and forth in all sorts of places. He began to cough out in pain which made him cry more but he didn't make any other sound.

Other bystanders were horrified by what they saw but chose not to do anything about it, simply watching and pulling out their phones to record it. Meanwhile, Daniel cried for help, as loud as he can but unfortunately, it was all in his head. He was crying for help in his head and was not verbally speaking as he kept coughing out with each painful kick.

Help finally came, a hyper beam came from nowhere and struck one of the assaulting pokemon. This caused everyone to stop and look towards the origin of the blast. It came from a Garchomp accompanied by its trainer and officer jenny with her pokemon.

"Ah shit! The fuzz is here! Move!" The men announced, spitting on the teenager before bolting off in a direction away from Officer Jenny as she followed in pursuit with her pokemon. The garchomp accompanied by its trainer walked over to Daniel and knelt down. The crowd came in closer, trying to snap pictures of the boy and get a picture of his condition but the Garchomp trainer yelled at everyone, telling them they should be ashamed of themselves and they should stop immediately. They listened without hesitation and watched as the man and his pokemon picked up the partners and hurried off. The older man looked down in concern, the boy was sobbing still and barely processing what was even happening anymore.

It was a blur for Daniel, he didn't remember much of what happened but he remembered being taken to a couple places to get patched up and was suddenly inside of a laboratory with the man. He was a middle-aged man with black, curly hair, bluish eyes, and some facial hair under his ears. He wore a blue shirt, black trousers with a yellow belt, and also wears orange socks and brown trainers with grey stripes. He has a watch on his left arm and wore a white lab coat. He had introduced himself as Professor Sycamore, the Pokemon Professor of the Kalos region

Daniel was sitting on the couch, slouched over and looking down to the ground as the older man was typing on his laptop. "So, what happened exactly? Why did you end up in that situation?" Sycamore questioned, clicking on several tabs on his laptop. Daniel tried recollecting what happened and remembered what caused it. He began explaining what had happened, with the men harassing the woman and how he was challenged to an unfair match where they were kicked repeatedly. "I see, so you tried defending the woman but those men got angry and lashed out at you as a result?"

Daniel mumbled, "Yeah…"

"I imagine it was scary, it was horrifying walking in on it. Those men are bad people, they're a part of a large gang currently scattered in places around Kalos. They're criminals who have had committed several offences already. They've been caught but they keep being saved. They're a part of a gang known as the 'Rux Organization' led by Rux Sullivan, their confirmed leader. You got lucky there."

Daniel made a "hmm" sound, processing what the professor just told him and realizing how lucky he really was. This discouraged him as well, realizing he accomplished nothing, and all he managed to do was get beaten up for trying.

"Well, we should probably get your family-" the professor was cut off by Daniel who was quick to respond, objecting to the suggestion before he could even finish it. This caused the man to worry and turn fully towards the teenager. "What do you mean? Do you have a problem with your family?"

Daniel answered, "n-no… it's just…" he couldn't even find a remote explanation for his actions, there was no way in hell he could justify it. He groaned as a result of this, slouching forwards even more.

"What's your name?"

"Daniel…"

"And your last?"

"I don't wanna say…" Daniel didn't want to run the risk of anyone knowing he was Samuel's Brother, he couldn't suffer any more humiliation until he was ready. For years now, he's had to stick with only his first name or a made up last to cover up his identity but it didn't always work. But it ran its course and he was considered a ghost, rumors believing him to be dead or a runaway which wasn't far from the truth.

The professor was highly skeptical, but knew the boy was in distress and he needed to help one way or another. "Are you ashamed of your heritage? You don't want anyone finding out about it?"

"I'm not ashamed… it's just that… I'm the brother of Samuel Barsony, the unbeatable champion…" Daniel tensed up completely, shutting his eyes and preparing to be mocked like always, regardless of the professor believed him or not.

"Why would you want to hide the fact that you're the brother of the infamous unbeatable champion? That's something to be proud of, something to take pride in."

"I'm glad he's my brother but I don't have pride in it… everyone immediately assumes I'm as good as him but the simple fact of the matter is: I'm not, I'll never be as good as him. I'll never be like him, and everyone makes fun of me because of that. Everyone says that I'm weak and useless and that I can't accomplish anything, I want to prove them wrong but they're right. I can't do anything… I can't win a Pokémon battle, I can't do all the cool things everyone else can…" he broke down, his voice became weak as he sobbed. The professor watched, having put away his laptop to listen to the boy's story. He was shocked and felt the pain and severity of his situation just from his voice alone. "I can't even help anyone even if I want to… I'm useless…"

"... then you should ignore the people who hurt you. Pursue a career you want to follow, not what is put in front of you."

"I can't, I'm not good at anything else, and even if I did… everyone else would still mock me for running away for being the failure that I am… this is my life, I can't change it and I can't do anything about it… sometimes, I feel like it would be better if I was d-"

"Don't finish that sentence." The professor cut quickly, getting angry upon hearing those words. "I know it's rough, we have to live in this cruel and unforgiving world. But that's no excuse to go down that route, it isn't worth it. What about your family? Would you be willing to hurt them like that?" This caught Daniel off guard, he looked towards the floor in shame and had nothing to say. "I didn't think so. You still have a chance, everyone does, it's up to you if you want to take it."

"What chance? There's nothing I can do, nothing I can accomplish."

"You've lost your way, that's all right. All you need is a push in the right direction." Sycamore said, pulling up his phone and and putting something in. Daniel simply looked upon the Pokémon professor, anticipating what he was going to do. The professor finished as he put the phone to his ear and spun around majestically in his chair. "Uhh, hello, this is Professor Sycamore, the Pokémon professor of the Kalos Region, I would like to talk with Samuel Barsony please if it's not too much trouble."

Daniel understood what the professor was doing, he wanted to object like always, not wanting his brother to find out but the professor was already talking.

"It's something important I would like to discuss with him. I would need only a few minutes if he can spare the time… trust me, it's important… okay, thank you." The professor went silent, as he was now put on hold. He spun around in his seat playfully, looking up to the ceiling and patiently waiting for the elevator music to stop playing.

"Uh, hello? Who's this?" Samuel asked, Daniel could hear his dear brother from where he was. He had heard and seen Samuel on the television over the years, he got to watch his older brother grow into a fine young man, complete with a beard as well. As for him, he didn't do so hot.

The professor began talking with the champion, "you see, I have a special person next to me who I'm sure you would like to talk to."

"Who?" Samuel questioned, waiting. This was the que, the professor turned around and handed the device to Daniel, motioning for him to take it.

Daniel did as told, bringing the mobile device close to his ear and mumbling, "h-hey, Samuel…" There was silence on the other side until he spoke up.

"...Daniel? Oh my god, is that really you Daniel?!"

"Y-yeah, it's me…"

"Holy fucking shit! You've gotta be joking! Do you know what you put us through?!"

Daniel choked up, unable to bring himself to respond as it would only add fuel to the already raging fire.

"Daniel, what the hell have you been doing these last couple years?"

Daniel contemplated how to answer, this time he had to because this was his brother. Samuel was probably the one he hurt the most and he deserved an answer, he thought about it and he had to come to terms with it, he has truly accomplished nothing over the last couple years. All he has done was mope and whine over everything. "Nothing, I haven't done anything" he answered in a regretful tone, letting out a sigh and facing reality.

"... nothing, huh? That's not like you, you left with purpose. As much as it made me and everyone else angry, I understand why you left. I'll always be angry about it but I have come to terms with it. So you've done nothing? Life must have been harsh towards you especially, I don't even need to look at you to figure that. I feel as though I owe an apology towards you, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be in this situation. I'm sorry, really."

"Nothing's your fault, Samuel. We all did what we had to… it was only me, I couldn't take it and I did the things I did… Samuel, I don't know what to do anymore… I don't know where to go…"

"... Daniel, what is your purpose? Why did you run off?"

"I wanted to get stronger and beat you, I wanted to be like you and have all the respect my big brother had."

"Yet you've had no chance to prove yourself, to deem yourself to everyone else?"

"Yeah…"

"Battle me, that's what you must do."

"What?"

"I will go over to the Kalos region to battle you. But we won't just battle, we are going to battle in the Pokémon league. The same way I became champion is the same way you are going to prove your worth. Here's what I want you to do, I want you to battle the gym leaders, earn your badges, and enter the Pokémon league so we can battle as equals on fair ground. Can you do that for me?"

Daniel processed the words and his eyes widened, for the first time in years, he felt excited. He had lost his way but now, he knows what he as to do, he regained the same drive he felt all those years ago to make a difference. He got up from he chair and declared to his brother, "I'll do it, I'll battle you in the Pokémon league."

"Now that's my little bro, you the man. Get your ass up and show the world what you're made of. Show the world who you are, you hear me?"

"Yeah."

"Damn straight you do. All right, I have to go for now. I need to get everything ready for our battle. Until we meet face to face bro, cya!"

"Cya."

Samuel hung up, Daniel removed the phone and for the first time, he smiled and handed the phone back to the professor. The professor heard what happened and smiled because he was able to help out, "Everything good now?"

"Yeah, I guess I just have to go out and defeat these gym leaders. Guess it's still gonna be me and Bisharp like usual."

"I'm sure if you go out there, you'll find friends. Again, it's all about taking those chances, am I right?"

"Yeah, you're right." Daniel stood there, entering his thoughts and remembering Serena. " _Granted, the only friends I've ever really had was Bisharp and Serena. Oh well, at least I have Bisharp with me._ "

They heard knocking coming from the door, the Professor stood up, confused. He wasn't expecting anyone but then again, how is anyone able to expect any new trainers? Professor Sycamore told Daniel to sit tight as he dealt with it. He did as told until he heard the Professor talking with someone. It was a girl, this made him curious and caused him to sit up and decided to take a peak. He got close to the door and barely stuck his head out to see who it was. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Beauty at its finest, nothing else to really describe it. A teenage girl who appeared to be older than him. She wore a dark gray tank top with a white collar, dark gray stockings, long honey blonde hair that reaches just above her waist. She also wore red double waist side buttons pleated skirt, black hi-tops with pink semi-pokeball printing on the sides. Lastly, a dark pink hat paired with a black hat band and ribbon bow and beautiful blue eyes.

Daniel blushed upon seeing this, he's seen pretty girls before but never anything like this. The only other person he found that attractive was Serena when he was younger, and it might've been contributed to the fact that he held a massive crush on her back then. Regardless, he had to shake the thought off, and try to listen.

The girl spoke up, "My name is Serena Ferris, I'm looking for an old friend from the past." Danie's eyes widened to the size of baseballs, his heart raced as everything suddenly clicked. The stunning girl that stood only several meters away, was his childhood crush whom he loved immensely.


	2. Chapter 2 Remastered

"My name is Serena Ferris, I'm looking for an old friend from the past."

Daniel's eyes widened to the size of baseballs, his heart raced as everything suddenly clicked. The stunning girl that stood only several meters away, was his childhood crush whom he loved immensely.

The professor spoke up, "Is that so? What's his name?".

Serena answered, "I don't know actually, but I recognized him. He was on TV the other day and helped out a rampaging Garchomp."

"You mean Ash?"

And like that, Daniel's world shattered, she was not looking for him at all. He hid back, jaw dropped and absolutely soul crushed. He fell back against the frame and screamed internally because his hopes were dashed. While he was in his daze, the two continued to converse before eventually making their way down the hall towards the room. The two walked through the door and looked at Daniel with a confused expression as he stood there, unphased by their entry. Daniel's eyes followed the girl, unfortunately, she noticed. She looked back, looking upon the boy with a disgusted and uncomfortable look as the two made eye-contact. The professor and Serena made it to a shelf where Sycamore would begin shuffling through for something.

Serena kept looking back, checking if the strange individual was still looking at her and rest assured, he was. Daniel was frozen in place and realized why she kept looking back, " _I should probably stop looking, I probably look like a creeper… scratch that, I already do."_ He attempted to compose himself, managing to escape his frozen state. He didn't know what to say or do, he only admired her beauty. He had to note to himself that she had become immensely stunning, unlike anything he's ever seen before.

The Professor pulled out three pokeballs and revealed the three starters: Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin. Serena ended up choosing Fennekin as her partner and took the pokemon within her arms. She was also handed a pokedex which she put away. "Come here, Daniel, I got one for you too." The professor called out to the boy, handing out another of the devices in his direction. Daniel approached to grab the Pokedex, meanwhile, Serena was caught off-guard by the boy's name. A memory of the boy she once knew flashed in her mind but she didn't think much of it and brushed it off as a coincidence.

Serena returned her attention to her task and asked the Professor, "Professor, do you happen to know where Ash went?" Sycamore explained to the girl that Ash, along with two others, made their way towards Santalune City for his first gym battle. She thanked the professor and started to leave, Daniel reached out, nearly saying something but she stopped on her own. She looked at the boy, and for an unexplained reason, a memory of her friend flashed again and she saw the child within the teenager in front of her. She did notice he had stepped forward in her direction so he must've wanted to say something, "Did you want something?"

The cat got Daniel's tongue and he was caught off-guard, he desperately tried to find a question, "Uhh, w-what's your name?" Daniel cursed to himself and realizing how stupid he looks.

"Serena Ferris… what's yours…?"

"Umm… Daniel… Daniel-… umm, yeah, just that."

"O-kay… bye, Daniel." She turned around and walked off. Daniel's heart sank to his feet as he watched her leave, he just royally messed up his chances. The professor asked what that was about and he explained to the man that Serena was a dear friend of his from back then and she didn't recognize him.

Sycamore suggested, "Well? Go tell her." He said, confused by the boy's hesitation. Daniel said no instinctively which was not what he wanted to say. The professor looked at Daniel disappointingly, "I swear, I'm gonna have to keep a tally of how many times you say that."

The teenager was embarrassed, looking at the ground with nothing to say. "Anyways, if you don't mind sticking around for a little bit longer, I got something for you." Daniel asked the professor what it was.

He didn't answer, pulling up his phone and standing in place as he awaited an answer. Officer Jenny answered and asked what Sycamore needed. "Ah yes, did you by any chance catch those criminals from before?"

The officer replied, "Yes I did, what of it?"

"Ah, could I go see them? There's something I'd like to do."

"Alright, I'll give you a couple minutes. I'll be expecting you."

"Thank you, We'll be there in a little bit." Sycamore hung up, shoving the mobile device into his pocket. Daniel was very confused as to why the Professor requested to see the men from before but he responded the same way he did the Officer. He gathered his belongings and told Daniel to come with him. The boy did as told, they hopped into the Professor's car and they were driven to the Police Station where Officer Jenny awaited them as expected.

After parking and doing all of the other necessary chores, Officer Jenny escorted the two of them towards the men's prison cell. It was a well refined prison and it was highly sophisticated. As they walked through the hall of cells, numerous individuals would spout "compliments" and insults for the Officer who simply ignored all of the comments all together. Daniel was tense, being surrounded left and right by criminals put him on edge and all that was separating them from him were the jail bars. Luckily, there was only a small handful of men who stood out and attempted to try anything, the rest thankfully stayed in place not doing anything.

They soon approached the desired prison cell and inside, were the three men from yesterday. They all looked happy upon discovering Officer Jenny but then noticed Sycamore and Daniel besides her. Officer Jenny spoke up, "Make it quick, I won't give you much time."

"Thank you" Sycamore responded, now turning to the teen by his side. "Now, which of these men were the ones you initially battled?" The question made Daniel freeze in place as he stared at the men.

The one who had initially challenged him spoke first, getting up and walking close to the steel bars. "I did. What? This little punk told mommy what happened and wants to get me in trouble? Buzz off kid, we're already behind bars." The insult made Daniel wither back, hurt by the insult.

"Jokes aside, sir. I have but a simple request for you."

"What? Humiliate myself to make the runt feel better about himself?"

"No, I simply want you to continue your battle with this young man here."

"What do you mean? I beat his sorry ass."

"No, I walked into a one versus three, not a battle. Now, if it's not too much trouble, could you battle him?"

"Like hell I would, give me a reason."

Officer Jenny interrupted, "Because if you win, I'll let you out." All of them were surprised and immediately turned towards the woman. She looked away from the prisoner and gave a playful wink towards Daniel and Sycamore to show she was only joking and for them to play along with it.

"That so? Hell yeah!" The prisoner excitedly turned towards his other two friends and began to brag that he was about to get out. Daniel could tell the man was celebrating because he thought little of the boy and believed it to be an easy task.

Daniel looked down a little bit, not sure if he wanted to suffer another loss like that. The professor noticed this and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, reassuring him, "You got this." This made Daniel barely smile.

They were outside now in a large open area with the battle arena markings on the floor. Daniel stood on one side, pokeball in hand while his opponent nonchalantly walked up to his end and pulling out his pokeball as well. Officer Jenny stood on the sidelines as the referee with her Pokemon by her side. Both participants let out their Pokemon who snared at each other. Both pokemon got into a fighting stance and waited for the green light to start.

Officer Jenny began the battle, the older man immediately gave a command, "Gallade, trash that Bisharp with a Close Combat!" The Gallade ran in close, Bisharp stood there disappointed and making a note that they sure love that attack. The Dark Steel charged towards Gallade as it came in close, ready to perform its attack. Once the moment was right, Bisharp slid past the Psychic Fighting type as it threw multiple blind punches in succession. Daniel's pokemon stopped itself, quickly getting up and striking the back of his opponents head. Gallade was confused, whipping around and instinctively slashing in that direction in the hopes of hitting Bisharp. The opposing pokemon predicted its movements however, side-stepping out of the way and bringing its leg back for a swift kick at the Gallade's side.

The Gallade staggered forward, spinning around to face Bisharp so his back would no longer be turned. Daniel's pokemon brought its arms up in defense, thinking to itself how to approach his opponent. The man began to shout command but unfortunately, Bisharp was already moving. Daniel's pokemon approached the Gallade and throwing an obvious right hook. Gallade prepared to counter but Bisharp was smarter. Not following through with the punch, but instead using the momentum of it to spin around and sweep Gallade off his feet. The Psychic was immensely shocked by the maneuver and fell to the floor. The Dark Steel Pokemon ran up to it and kicked it away, causing the opponent to roll on its sides uncomfortably.

Bisharp did not let up, running up and towering above the helpless opponent. Gallade opened its eyes in fear and shock as watched as the pokemon above it blocked out the sun. Bisharp brought his arm back and threw a punch. The psychic yelped and threw its arms up in surrender. Daniel's pokemon stopped right in front of the pokemons face and maintaining the position. Gallade peered its eyes open, looking at the Bisharp with a fearful look but grateful it wasn't struck.

Officer Jenny saw this as a victory for Daniel and announced the victor of the match. Daniel smiled, feeling confident because of his victory and proud of his pokemon. Daniel skipped over to his partner and brought his fist up towards the pokemon. Bisharp saw this and knew what to do, fist bumping with Daniel to show their support towards each other. The older man began throwing a fit, calling Daniel out for not stating any attacks and "cheating" when that wasn't the case. His argument was shut down and his Pokemon was returned and he was forced back into his cell.

Both the professor and Daniel made their way out of the prison, Sycamore congratulated the boy on his victory and could see the boy had won back some of his confidence. The professor in-turn felt proud that he made the right choice after all. They soon returned to the man's lab where Professor Sycamore would ask Daniel what he was going to do now.

"What am I going to do? Well… I'm not sure, where should I go first?" Daniel asked, thinking to himself but he didn't really know his way around Kalos.

Fortunately, the professor had a quick answer, "Why not Santalune City? I would suggest that as your first gym, it's relatively close to Lumiose City so it's not that far. Also, considering your friend Serena was looking for Ash who is also there, you could potentially catch her and who knows." Daniel was mind-blown, he hadn't thought of this idea and thanked the professor profusely for his suggestion. The man brushed it off, merely wishing the boy the best of luck and personally seeing him off, not without giving some advice for what he should do. Daniel thanked the man once more and set off.

Daniel went to the Pokemon Center first and registered for the Pokemon League as suggested by both his peers. He did so without any complications, hunger soon hit him like a missile and he decided to hit up the same restaurant he went to last time before everything went down. He made his way there, through some difficulty however because of how unfamiliar he was with the city. Nonetheless, he made it and entered the building. Coincidentally enough, the kind young woman took Daniel's order again, thanking the young man for trying to help out. She decided to give him a free meal because of his brave actions and because of what had happened because of it. Daniel was thankful, enjoying his meal for the first time. It tasted like heaven considering he lost his taste for food when his depression was worse and he hadn't eaten in a hot minute.

As Daniel was devouring his food in front of him, he decided to look around the restaurant and nearly choked up at what he saw. On the other side was Serena who was taking her time with her meal, having a nice chat with one of the male employees. Daniel ignored the guy but just kept looking at her, remembering the fact that she didn't quite remember him. He had to go up and say something to her but he told himself no. He was kind of fearful about it and thinking she would get angry at him for interrupting her conversation with the employee. He tried to find another excuse to not go and told himself he was really hungry and wanted to finish his food first. So he did.

In Daniel's head, he was cycling through scenarios of how to approach the beautiful girl and confess that he was her friend from years ago. He thought of numerous approaches and responses, such approaches included him being nervous, cool, or something else. Responses included her being angry or overjoyed. The good ones were merely fantasies to him and he realized he could never say or do the things that played out in his head. This frustrated him and cursed to himself because he couldn't do it.

Suddenly, he heard Serena get up out of her seat and start paying for her food. Daniel panicked, he needed to hurry and started swallowing his food whole. He took humongous bites into his food and started to choke on it. He snatched his drink and gulped it down to free himself from the pain. He let out his breath, regaining his composure and noticed she had already left the vicinity. He got up, bolting out of the restaurant which caught everyone's attention and left everyone baffled at the ruckus.

Daniel saw her, she was making her way out of the city and he followed after her. He called out to her as he slowly closed the gap between them. Eventually, the girl finally heard him and groaned. She recognized the voice and angrily turned around to see Daniel running up. Her expression was that of disappointment as she watched the young man finally arrive and attempt to catch this breath. "What do you want?" She asked, wanting to get the business over with.

Once Daniel regained his composure, he felt ready to tell her. "Hey, Serena, I never told you who I was."

"You told me earlier it was just Daniel and nothing else."

"Yeah, but the thing is… Serena, the thing is… I'm Daniel Barsony, your friend."

This made her eyes widen and the image of the young boy flashed in her head again but she shook off the thought, "I don't believe you."

"It is! It's me!"

"Daniel Barsony disappeared years ago, he ran away and was never to be seen again." Her eyes shone slightly from the light and it was due to the painful memory causing her eyes to get wet. Daniel could see this and knew he had to tell her more than ever.

"Serena, it really is me. I swear on my life, I'm the same boy who always cries under the tree. I'm the same boy who always got picked on by Spencer and his group of friends. I'm the same boy who you helped numerous times." Daniel explained, choking up and preparing himself for the reaction. Serena was caught completely off guard, she turned towards him fully and stepped back. She had a worried and concerned expression now, she frantically looked the boy up and down and looked at his face, his hair and it made sense, everything did.

"It… it really is you…" Serena almost wanted to cry and her face changed accordingly. Daniel felt reassured that she still remembered and felt that he had to comfort her now. Before he could say anything, Serena slapped him across the face and began to tremble, "...You idiot... Do you know what you've done…?" Daniel felt his cheek which was numb from the slap, he looked upon Serena and nodded his head. "No you don't… You don't know what you did… After all, you ran away, didn't you? You've been gone for six years, how could anyone possibly know?"

Daniel wasn't really sure where she was getting at, Daniel already knew he fucked up on leaving and was going to right his wrongs. Serena was probably mad because he left without saying goodbye and caused her to worry. He spoke up to her, "Serena… what happened…?"

The girl looked directly into his eyes and tears rolled down now as she prepared to explain. "Everything went wrong! That's what happened! You suddenly got up and left without saying a word! You blindly ran past me and your own mother without turning back. We had the police search for you but you didn't turn up! We thought something terrible happened to you! I cried so much, I lost my closest friend but to add insult to injury, it didn't stop there! I had gone to a camp all by myself without my best friend by my side and it was difficult being over there by myself! ALSO, when I came back, my parents were already signing for divorce! My parents divorced and I was separated from my sister and baby brother! We left Kanto, and you didn't come to even say goodbye! SPENCER, said goodbye! Not you! I left Kanto crying with only my mother at my side and we live here now because of everything that had happened! THAT is what happened!" Serena became a mess, letting the tears come and it became uncontrollable. She closed her eyes and covered them as she sobbed.

The explanation felt like the hardest hit he has ever received in his life, that was the hardest pill to swallow. Nothing came close, not losing a battle, not getting kicked by those men, this. His heart ached and he felt a massive pain coming from his heart. He felt his chest with his left hand and tried to gain composure after what he just heard. He reached out to her in an effort to comfort her but she smacked his hand away. She then began to run off into the distance with Daniel after her. He followed in pursuit but she was running as fast as she could and she eventually lost the boy inside the woods. Daniel stopped in his tracks, falling to his knees and processing everything that had transpired.

Bisharp forced himself out of the pokeball, stretching and noticing his partner by his side on his knees. Daniel fell forward, catching himself and his bare hands pressed against the cold dirt. "It's all my fault… I did this…" Daniel clenched his fist, dragging his fingers through the ground and collected dirt. "I did this… I made Serena hate me… I made her upset and I only increased her stress… I could've been there for her but instead I ran away… I'm a failure…"

Bisharp stood there, listening to what his partner was saying, he had heard everything transpire inside the pokeball so he only observed for now. Daniel began to cry himself, bringing his arms back before lifting his head up and yelling as loud as he can into the sky, "DAAAAMMMIIITTTT!" He slammed his fists against the dirt, letting it out and becoming the weak boy once more.

Bisharp decided it was enough, he wasn't going to have any more of this. "What a bitch." he insulted (in his own language), Daniel lifted his head up, misinterpreting the insult and telling Bisharp not to call Serena that. Bisharp objected, "You think I was talking about her?" Daniel then understood that it was directed towards him. The insult made him curl up and clench his fists. "There's your problem, it's because of shit like this that things go wrong. It's because of your reaction every time that things go wrong. You're unable to handle all this stress, you lash out and do the ridiculous. It is your fault your life is hell, it is your fault you ran away and made things harder not only for yourself, but everyone else you know as well. All that because of you."

Daniel's mind was starting to be swallowed in darkness once more, his confidence he had earlier all removed because of this turn of events.

"Do you know what Serena sees right now? A weak child, a boy who can't stand up for himself, a weak man. She doesn't hate you but you aren't exactly acting like a friend right now, get real. She's also had it rough, not just you. Life's not just about you, everyone suffers just the same. Right now, she needs someone to be by her side right now just like she needed you back then. You aren't doing that right now, you aren't doing anything about it. Instead, you choose to cry and bitch about everything wrong in your life yet you choose to make no difference. You think it's hopeless and you just end up giving up way too easily. Get real, life isn't easy, but that's no excuse to be like that."

Daniel listened to the speech, crying even more and admitting to everything he was told. Bisharp knelt down in front of his partner, putting his hand on his shoulder, "But, you have the potential. That's one thing you never see in yourself, You have the potential to do what no man can do. You may be looked down upon by everyone, but remember this: You're the brother of Samuel Barsony, you might not do all the cool things he could do now, but what if you really put the work in? What happened to that determination from back then? What happened to that drive to win? That's my partner, my Daniel Barsony who chose me as his best partner. You have that potential, you just have to go for it. If you really want to start righting your wrongs, then go to her. She needs you more than ever now, she's confused and needs reassurance. Only you can provide that, so go, be the friend she sees in you and needs."

Daniel looked up, and realized his partner was right. He was getting nowhere doing nothing, if he really had a problem, he needed to do something about it. Daniel brushed his arm across his face, drying the tears and getting up. They nodded towards each other and ran off in Serena's direction, Daniel repeatedly called out to his dear friend. He continued running and calling, frantically looking around and noticing the sun was beginning to set. He needed to hurry or they would actually lose her. Daniel stopped when he saw her, sitting against a tree was Serena, curled up into a ball. The boy approached her, moving directly in front and lowering himself down to her level.

Daniel cleared his throat, speaking up, "Serena… I am so, SO sorry… I mean it… I know what I did was stupid, I am stupid, I'm a complete idiot. I did one of the stupidest things known to man-kind, running away from friends and family. I was selfish, you were there during my hard times and I wasn't there for yours. I'm a complete dunse, and I may deserve all the insults thrown my way. But Serena, you are my closest friend, one of the best I could ask for. I never want to hurt you, not like that again. I'm really sorry, and I can understand if you never forgive me. But, just know I'm here for you now, I'm back and ready to make things right." He reached out but this time, he wasn't quite rejected. She uncurled herself and hugged the boy in appreciation. She held him close as she continued silently crying and trembling just the same. Daniel wrapped his arms around her in his best attempt to comfort her, patting her back. "It's gonna be okay… it's gonna be okay… I'm here now."

Serena muttered "thank you" under her breath as she was done crying, letting go of her friend and backing off. They both did and sat down with Serena looking towards the floor. "I'm sorry… I don't hate you, at all… I was just really upset at you because of what you did. Your quest to defeat Samuel and everything."

Daniel half-smiled, getting up and extending his arm out towards her, "That's why I want to start over. I'll try for real one last time, I'll battle Samuel at the Pokemon league. This is the last time, and after that, I want to go back to what we were before. Just two friends with nothing to worry about. All I ask for your support one last time, to stand with me and help me achieve my goal." Serena looked up, smiling and taking his hand as she was lifted to her feet as well.

"You promise?"

"I promise, I'm done after this."

"Alright… I'll believe you, I'll support you like always, just like old times, right?"

"Like old times."

They were both content now, realizing it had become late and they needed a place to stay. They discovered a nearby pokemon center within the forest and quickly made their way there, getting inside and renting rooms for the night. After everything was ready, just as they were parting for the night, Serena told the boy, "Goodnight, Daniel." before smiling and entering her room. Daniel smiled, entering his, getting into his bed and closing his eyes.

For the first time in years, he slept with ease and no tension or stress kept him up that night.


	3. Chapter 3, Interesting Fellas

Daniel opened his eyes to see a wooden ceiling. He quickly sat up and looked around, he was the only one there. "What time is it…?" The trainer asked himself out loud, looking for the clock and saw it was near noon. He got out of the bed which he was laying on, put on his socks which were neatly folded on top of the shelf next to him. He walked to the bathroom and before he went on with his business, he looked himself in the mirror.

Tall, black spiky hair, so tall that it tilted to his left because of how much hair he had; his bangs pointed to the right. He had black eyes and nothing else to really take note of besides the fact he wore a red t-shirt and black sweatpants. After using the bathroom, he picked up his dark blue hoodie from the coat rack and put it on. Daniel went outside, to the porch of the building to see Serena sitting where she sat last night without her pink hat. It was on the table along with her Fennekin and a few plates and a cup of tea. Serena heard her friend walk out, turning to him and smiling.

"Good morning, Daniel." the girl welcomed, her friend grumbled as he took his seat across from her. "Sleep well?"

"I suppose" He answered, resting his head on his fist again and looking out into the forest. It was very bright outside and everything seemed shiny.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just my "morning mood" as I like to call it." Said Daniel, telling the truth for the most part.

"Then drink some coffee, it'll help wake you up."

"I'm good, thanks for the offer…"

"No problem." The two of them sat there for a good two minutes, not saying anything to each other. Then a question appeared in Daniel's mind.

"Where's Bisharp?"

"Behind you." Serena pointed to the Dark Steel pokemon who was standing behind his trainer, loyally. Daniel turned around and almost jumped out of his seat to see Bisharp there all of a sudden.

"How long have you been there?!"

"Longer than she's been here." Bisharp responded to his trainer who turned back around to Serena.

"I see… Well, we're all here, so we should probably get going." the boy stated, getting up out of his seat. Serena stretched in her seat before getting up and putting on her hat.

"I'm ready!" Serena informed her friend, who thanked Nurse Joy for allowing them to stay before they took off. They set off to Santalune City so they can meet Ash Ketchum with different reasonings. The two friends walked side by side, following the dirt road and allowing the sound of nature fill the silence. Bisharp followed behind his trainer while Fennekin stayed in its pokeball.

"So… Serena, you said you were looking for Ash… why?" Serena turned her head to Daniel and looked back forward, her face appearing as though she was trying to make an answer.

"There's… something I have to return to him."

"What do you have to return if I may ask?"

"Something he gave me before."

"Yeah, I'm asking what he gave you."

"A handkerchief."

"A handkerchief… seriously…?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why a handkerchief?"

"Because he gave it to me."

"WHY did he give you a handkerchief?"

Serena fell silent as they continued to walk, Daniel turned to his Bisharp who shrugged its shoulders.

"Well…?"

"Do you wanna hear the long or short version of the story?"

"Well, we got time, so long version please."

"Well, it's not really long, but oh well… So… Remember the summer camp I went to years ago, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, while I was there, I got lost in the forest. I remember being very scared and calling out for help. I hurt my knee and Ash found me, covered my knee up with the handkerchief and walked me back." Serena explained, blushing slightly then turning to her friend who was quite puzzled.

"First of all… How'd you get lost in the forest?"

"I don't remember exactly… I can only remember that bit of the camp."

" _Hmm, this is interesting… very interesting, let's see where this goes."_ Bisharp thought to himself, continuing to walk. The trio continued to walk, having rather casual conversations on life and catching up a little. Eventually, they made it out of the forest and into Santalune City. The city was barely one at all, a town if anything else. All the buildings were mostly pale green with dark green roofs and trees in a few spots.

"Where do we go from here?" Serena inquired her friend, who was looking around.

"The gym." he answered, turning to his crush.

"Oh yeah! The Professor DID say Ash was going to battle the gym here, right?"

"Oh, I wasn't thinking about that, I was just thinking that I needed to battle the gym leader here."

"Well, let's go find the gym then!" Serena ordered cheerfully. After asking for direction for ten minutes, they found the Santalune gym. The building was colored like the rest in Santalune "city" but it was massive compared to the rest. It had bushes outlining the property, with trees in between the building and the bushes. They entered through the front doors which were automatic, they entered into a hallway with pictures of pokemon covering the walls. The floor consisted of brown tiles that shined from the light above, and the walls were sand-colored. There was a red couch and a silver desk, opposite of the couch. The two of them walked down the hallways, observing the pictures carefully and the closer they got to the other end, the more evident it was that there was people beyond the door.

Daniel opened the door and were greeted to a large room with a pokemon battle arena in the center, a glass ceiling, and plants covering the walls. There was a silver walkway that surrounded the arena with benches in a few places. In the pokemon arena, there was a referee on the side and on their end, a trainer and what appeared to be the gym leader on the polar opposite side. They walked up, Serena almost jogging ahead of Daniel for some unknown reason.

"Who are you?" begged a young adult on the sideline, near one of the benches. she has brown hair, like her eyebrows, as well as having green eyes. Her hair is collected and with a tuft of hair that protrudes her forehead. She wears a tight black and red shirt, with the collar and cuffs being white. She also wears tighty gray pants, brown boots and a fanny pack on her waist.

"Uh, we'd like to watch a little; is that okay?" Serena responded to the woman.

"Sure, you're more than welcome to."

"They're in the middle of a battle, so you should come here." suggested one of the other two spectators there besides the woman. He is a teenager with pale skin and medium length bright yellow messy hair that appears somewhat electrified with a lightning-bolt shaped tuft of hair sprouting from the top of his head. He is small in stature, wearing large round glasses which obscure his eyes, and a blue jumpsuit with a yellow collar, and yellow stripes on the knees and bottom cuffs. He sports a backpack-like cybernetic contraption on his back.

"This is a good part right now!" said the third spectator there. She is a small and slender young girl with shiny golden-blonde hair tied in a side ponytail with an orange band, and sky blue eyes. She wears a brown short-sleeved top with a soft black bow on the neckline, knee-length black leggings covered by a puffy white skirt resembling a cloud, some pink colored Mary-Jane shoes on her feet and a yellow shoulder bag.

Without question, the two friends made their way to the where the rest of the spectators watched the battle. The challenger is a teen that has black hair and brown eyes, and has two lighting bolt-like markings underneath each eye. His clothes consisting of a blue collared shirt with short sleeves and white trim, black undershirt, darker blue jeans, a red and white hat, and red high top sneakers. The gym leader is a young woman with blonde hair and wears a white blouse, green pants with white cuffs, brown boots with green laces and a green sweatband on her left hand.

"Fletchling, Peck Attack!" the challenger ordered his pokemon. The challenger's Fletchling spun up into the air and nose diving towards the gym leaders pokemon, hardening it's beak.

"Dodge!" The Gym Leader commanded, her Surskit sliding to the right easily because of icy field they battled on, effectively being able to dodge the attack. "Ice Beam!" The Surskit fired up into the air to fire a beam of ice at the Fletchling but missed because of the bird's dodging. "Surskit, Sticky Web!"

"Double Team!" the boy shouted, his Fletching creating multiple clones of itself in the air. The opposing Surskit fired several balls of webs at the clones hitting some and missing some. "Fletchling, Razor Wind!" The Fletching did as told, hardening it's wings and spawned several air projectiles that went for Surskit. The projectiles hit the Surskit and the ground, creating a explosion of mist, fading away to reveal a fainted pokemon.

"Surskit is unable to battle. Fletchling wins!" the referee announced, the challenger celebrating his victory while Serena and the little girl praised the challenger's skill.

"How many pokemon do they have left?" Daniel asked.

"They both have one pokemon left now." The boy the with the glasses answered Daniel, "I can see Ash winning now!"

" _So THAT's Ash… interesting…"_ Daniel thought to himself, looking at the challenger who was revealed to be Ash. The gym leader recalled her pokemon and thanked it for it's hard work.

"I'll make sure to defeat the other one and get the gym badge." Ash said to his opponent.

"I won't hand over the badge so easily. By my pride as a Gym Leader, I'll count on you, Vivillon!" The woman said, throwing out another pokeball to release her Vivillon. Ash pulled up his pokedex and scanned the Vivillon in response.

"Fletchling, Peck Attack!" Ash's Fletchling hardened its beak once more, and dived towards the opposing Vivillon.

"Vivillon, Psychic!" Vivillon's eyes glowed blue as Fletchling froze in place, outlined in blue now. "Since we have an ice studio, you should use it, too!" Fletchling was slammed into the icy ground with Psychic. Another explosion of mist, fading as Fletchling slowly made it ways way into the air again, bruised. "Gust!" The Vivillon flapped its wings creating a power gust of wind knocking Fletchling into the Sticky Webs from earlier which landed on the ceiling. The majority of people there seemed to panic at this.

"Hang in there, Fletchling! Break free!" The Fletchling tried as hard as it could, but couldn't escape the web.

"Vivillon, Solar Beam!" Vivillon's wings glowed yellow slightly with it dissipating when it fired a a yellow beam of light directly at Fletchling. An explosion with Fletchling falling out of the smoke and crashing into the ground, fainted.

"Fletchling is unable to battle. Vivillon wins! Therefore, the winner is Gym Leader Viola!" The referee announced once more, Viola returning her Vivillon to it's pokeball. Ash ran to his Fletchling, picking it up in worry. The boy with the glasses and the little girl ran down to where Ash was, with the glasses one picking up a fainted Pikachu which was nearby.

"We have to get that damage healed immediately." the glasses kid informed Ash, handing him the fainted Pikachu. Ash looked down at his two pokemon, devastated, and winced.

"I lost, but, I'll make sure to get stronger, so… please let me challenge you again." Ash requested, Viola giving her approval. Ash and the other two ran to the exit, going past Serena, Daniel, and the other spectator.

"Hey, Viola was it? Can I battle you now or do I have to wait a bit?" Daniel called out to the gym leader.

"Sorry, you'll have to wait a bit, give it at most thirty minutes, okay?" Viola answered back.

"Cool, thanks." Daniel turned back to Serena who seemed worried. "What's wrong, Serena?"

"Is that his backpack right there?" Serena pointed at one of the trees, a backpack leaned against it.

"Looks like it is, well, make that two things you have to return." Daniel joked as Serena picked up the backpack.

"Excuse me, do you two know Ash?" the brown haired woman from earlier asked, walking up to the two of them.

"Not exactly, but we're here to meet him." Daniel answered, "Who are you?"

"My name's Alexa, the Gym Leader, Viola, is my sister."

"Oh! That's cool."

"Well, if you're here to see Ash, you should probably catch up."

"Yeah." Daniel agreed, heading towards the exit with Serena. Serena slowly picked up the pace for some odd reason, catching Daniel's attention. "What's the hurry?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm just trying to catch up."

"It's all good, he's just heading to the pokemon center I think." They both walked out of the building but when the door opened something happened. Daniel was knocked down to the floor, his head hurting. He opened his eyes and saw two other guys in front of him, on the other side.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" one of the two apologized, putting out his hand to help out Daniel. He had short black hair which spiked upwards and brown eyes, he wore a Blue T-shirt which had a picture of a Lucario on it. He wore Grey jeans and red and white shoes. Daniel reached out and got up with the stranger's help.

"It's okay."

"Hey, did you just battle the gym leader here?" the other person asked, He had very short black hair, along with brown eyes, he had a very stern look opposed to his friend who appeared very cheerful. He wore a black zip-up jacket that had a hoodie along with dark blue jeans and black shoes. He had red headphones hanging around his neck.

"No, but another trainer JUST did."

"Dang it! We just missed it, Andres!" the lucario shirt fellow complained, turning to his friend.

"Welp, guess we gotta wait." Andres stated, starting turn on his music player to play some music..

"We're going to chill at the pokemon center for about thirty minutes, wanna tag along?" Daniel asked Andres and his friend.

"Sure!" the friend answered enthusiastically, while Andres shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, not changing his expression. As all four of them began to walk towards the pokemon center, Serena stayed quiet the entire time, wanting to go ahead but at the same time, not wanting to leave her friend.

"So, what's your name? My name's Daniel."

"Oh, I'm George! And you've already met my friend, Andres." George introduced, looking to his friend who was blasting his music without his headphones on.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Oh, nothing, he's always like this."

"That seems like a problem." Serena spoke up, catching George's attention.

"Eh, not really. You'll get used to it after a while." George stated, Andres turning his head to the group and looking away. They made it to the pokemon center where Andres, George, and Daniel sat at one of the tables inside while Serena went somewhere else there. "So you were gonna battle the Gym Leader?"

"Yeah, but like you guys, I missed it, I walked in the middle of a battle." Daniel responded, standing up straight in his chair while Andres merely rested his head on his hand and closed his eyes.

"So what starter pokemon? Mine's a Lucario if that wasn't obvious." George lifted up his shirt a little as he said this, showing it off.

"Oh, yours is a Lucario? Cool, mine's a Bisharp."

"A Bisharp? That's weird, not a very popular choice."

"So I have been told."

"Oh, hey! How about we have a pokemon battle! My Lucario vs your Bisharp!" George requested, getting up out of his seat, pointing at Daniel.

"Sure, sounds good to me, let's go outside." Daniel agreed, George tapped on Andres's shoulder, his friend only opening one eye at this.

"Yo, we're going to battle, wanna watch?"

"Sure." Andres answered emotionlessly, getting up out of his seat. They walked outside, to the back of the Pokemon Center, and found Serena, Ash, and the other two from earlier talking to each other. A jingle went off, getting everyone's attention. The four of them walked inside, past the three boys. Daniel and George went to opposite sides of the pokemon arena there while Andres sat down on the side, crossing his arms.

"Let's do this, Lucario!" George threw out his pokeball to release his Lucario whose fur was spiky and slicked back a little.

" _This should be fun_." Daniel thought to himself, releasing Bisharp from his pokeball.


	4. Chapter 4, The Holy GAD

"Whoa!" George exclaimed, taking in the sight of his opponent's Bisharp, "What's with your Bisharp?!"

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, knowing full well what George was reacting to, but thought he'd ask anyway.

"Your Bisharp! It doesn't have any blades!"

"Yeah, he was born like that, never had blades on his arms to begin with but maintained his head blade."

Andres paid careful attention to the Bisharp, curious now. " _How does a Bisharp fight without it's arm blades? I wonder."_ Andres thought to himself, looking to his friend for his response.

"Alright then, let's do this! Lucario, start off with a Aura Sphere!" George's Lucario formed a blue ball within both its palms and fired it out, releasing it. It was fast, it almost zoomed across the battlefield, with little time to react, Bisharp sidestepped out of the way.

" _That was close…"_ Bisharp thought to himself, looking back at the Lucario who smirked. Bisharp charged at his opponent while hardening the sharp end of his arm, his hands.

"Lucario, use Bone Rush!" The Lucario did as told, forming a glowing bone-shaped staff and running at the Bisharp. Bisharp blinked and his opponent was already in front of him and takes a swing at Bisharp with the bone. Bishap is knocked away but quickly gets back up only to find Lucario charging at him again. Bisharp put his arms up to guard as the pokemon prepared for another swing. Lucario jumped above Bisharp, spinning forward and hitting Bisharp from behind. The Dark Steel pokemon was knocked away quickly trying to get up and prepare for the next hit.

Daniel observed the battle, surprised by the immense speed of George's Lucario, he's never seen anything like it before. Lucario went in for another attack, quickly closing the gap between him and Bisharp. With only a few seconds to react, Bisharp was able to jump backwards, dodging the attack narrowly.

"Hey, Daniel, I noticed you're not saying anything to Bisharp. Meowth got your tongue?"

"Oh, that's just how we battle." Daniel answered, crossing his arms.

"That's stupid, how's your Bisharp supposed to fight?"

"How's that stupid? By telling Bisharp what to do, that means I'm assuming Bisharp's not smart enough to make his own choices and do whatever he feels is right."

"Well… I mean... like... does Bisharp listen to you at all?"

"Bisharp listens to me, I don't say anything because he does what I usually want him to do before I say it."

"Yeah, I do what I feel is the best action to take while at the same time, doing what you suggest I do." Bisharp added, turning to his trainer as if correcting him.

"What'd your Bisharp say?" George inquired, raising his eyebrow.

"He just said that he does what I suggest him to do while doing what he thinks is right at the same time." Daniel responded, George understanding now.

"How do you battle like that?" George's Lucario spoke up, referring to Bisharp who understood him.

"How? It's not all that hard, you get used to it eventually. Granted, it takes a long time to get the hang of." Bisharp explained, taking a fighting stance.

"I see… then let's keep going." Lucario ran at Bisharp, preparing another attack with Bone Rush. Bisharp tried sidestepping this one and successfully pulled it off when Lucario got close. However, Lucario turned around to hit Bisharp, Bisharp putting up his arms and taking the hit with them. The attack bruised bisharp's arms, Bisharp, wiggling his arms to "shake off" the pain.

"Lucario, let's change things up a bit, use Power-up Punch!" Lucario's right arm was covered in an orange aura with his arm glowing orange. Lucario threw a punch with his right at Bisharp. Time seemed to slow down for Bisharp as the punch came his way. The pokemon redirected the punch away from him as he threw his own punch at the Lucario, knocking it away. Andres and George stood there, speechless at what they saw, "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"A punch." Daniel answered, confused with what the big deal is.

"WHY'D YOUR BISHARP THROW A PUNCH?!"

"If we're using that logic, then why's your Lucario using Power-up Punch?"

"Because it can!"

"There you go, you answered both our questions with that."

"Lucario's a fighting type! Bisharp Isn't! How does that work?!" Andres and Daniel simultaneously face-palmed at this.

"You IDIOT, ANYTHING WITH ARMS CAN THROW A PUNCH." Daniel mocked, George's mind being blown at this.

"Oh, uh, yeah! I knew that! Just a slip of the mind, y'know…?" George chuckled, trying to brush it off.

"You imbecile…" Andres muttered under his breath, disappointed with his friend.

"Nice one, Bisharp." Lucario complimented, massaging the area it was hit.

"Thanks." Bisharp entered another fighting stance, getting used to Lucario's incredible speed. Serena came back along with Ash, the other two from before, and that woman, Alexa.

"Oh, a battle? Awesome!" Ash said, moving to the sidelines along with the other four to watch the battle. Bisharp ran towards Lucario, hardenings his arms as it approached. Lucario responded with charging at Bisharp at an even faster speed. Lucario threw a right hook at his opponent, Bisharp ducked under the attack and kicked at Lucario's foot. The fighting pokemon became unbalanced and fell over, his opponent prepared anothing kick, making contact with Lucario as he fell. Lucario was knocked away and rolled on the floor for a short bit.

" _Impressive… That Bisharp's got moves."_ Andres sat up straight, paying more attention to the battle than he did previously. Daniel complimented Bisharp's maneuver, getting a thank you in return.

"Whoa, nice one! Hey, Lucario, let's see how he handles Bone Rush THIS time." George commanded excitedly, a grin on his face. Lucario once again, created another bone and entered a fighting stance with it.

" _Damn it, this move…"_ Bisharp cursed in his mind, looking down at his arms which were still bruised from before. Lucario jumped high in the air, he was well above the building nearby; everybody looking up in response. The pokemon blocked out the sun, casting a shadow onto the battlefield. Lucario started to descend, picking up speed. At the same time, he began to spin forward continuously as he approached the ground.

Bisharp jumped out of the way as his opponent smashed the bone into the battlefield, creating a moderately large crater. Everyone except Daniel, George, and Andres were surprised by the power of the George's Lucario.

"Damn dude, that would've messed you up if you got hit!" Daniel stated to Bisharp who landed on his feet, turning around to look at the crater. Lucario turned to Bisharp, wasting no time, he immediately began to run towards him. Bisharp put up his arms in a defensive way, Lucario stopped in front of BIsharp swinging at Bisharp like a baseball.

" _Sweet!"_ Bisharp cheered to himself, dropping to the floor on his back, avoiding the strike. Lucario looked down at his opposition only to get horse-kicked in the face. Everyone was shocked at how hard the kick was, Lucario was knocked away sliding on its back when it landed on the floor. Bisharp got up, slightly concerned whether he hit Lucario too hard or not with that. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good, that was hard hit though, I won't lie." Lucario picked itself up, feelings it's face which was now bruised badly.

"George." Andres called out to his friend, George turning his head in response. "I hate to interrupt the battle but thirty minutes is almost up and I want to battle the gym leader and move on."

"Oh, uh, yeah!" George stuttered disappointingly, pulling up Lucario's pokeball. "Sorry dude, gotta end the battle here. Don't wanna keep Andres waiting."

"Oh, it's been almost thirty already? Damn. Well, I've been waiting to battle the gym leader, too." Daniel pulled up Bisharp pokeball. Both trainers returned their pokemon to their respective capsule as they walked to the center to shake hands.

"That was a good battle, dude."

"You too, your Lucario's like none I've ever seen."

"I can say the same for you Bisharp."

All the spectators besides Andres clapped as they approached the center

"Whoa! That was an awesome battle, guys!" Ash praised, both Daniel and George thanking the trainer. "So you're Daniel, right?"

"Yeah, that's me." Daniel acknowledged, pointing to himself.

"You're good, Serena told me a bit about you."

"She did?" Daniel turned to his crush to see her smiling in response. Daniel slightly blushing looking at her. "Anyways, George, let's heal our pokemon." Daniel, George, and Andres went inside the pokemon center where they would hand their pokemon to Nurse Joy.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna battle the gym leader first." Andres announced to the group as they waited.

"What, why?" George questioned, puzzled by Andres's decision.

"Well, even though Daniel got here first, we've been waiting the longest. Especially me, because I haven't fought in a pokemon battle since we got here."

"Makes sense to me. Aw, crap, that means George and I would have to wait a little over an hour to have our battles with the gym leader." Daniel deduced, feeling down at how long they'd have to wait before battling.

"YUP."

Agreeing on this, Daniel and George decided to leave Bisharp and Lucario at the pokemon Center as they followed Andres to the Gym. Daniel and George casually talking with Andres listening and not blasting his music like last time. Once they made it inside, past the hallway, and into the arena. They found Viola entering the arena from the other side while talking to the referee.

"Oh, you made it back already? Wow." Viola said, getting to her end while the referee stepped on the sideline. Andres went to his side of the battlefield while Daniel and George sat on the spectators seats. Andres introduced himself to Viola and she did the same.

"The Gym Match between challenger Andres and Gym Leader Viola will now begin. Two pokemon will be used each. If either party's Pokemon are unable to battle, the battle is declared over. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute his pokemon." The referee announced the rules to everyone.

"So, George, what's Andres's pokemon?" Daniel asked George, crossing his arms.

"You'll see." George replied, smirking for an unknown reason. Viola threw out a pokemon and released her Surskit. Andres pulled up his pokeball, and pressed the button to release his pokemon.

"What… the hell… IS THAT?!" Daniel asked, getting up out of his seat to get a better look at the pokemon.

"A Typhlosion. A... 'special' one, to put it lightly."

"Whoa, is that a shiny Typhlosion?" Viola asked, putting her hand on her hip.

"Nope." Andres answered back.

Andres's Typhlosion was vastly different than a normal or shiny. It had some sort of constellation burned into it's torso. The red flames that a Typhlosion usually has is now bright, blue, spiky flames. It's fur is a darker shade of blue than normal Typhlosions.

"A battle at last." Typhlosion spoke in fluent english, it's voice had a ripple effect and was deep. The voice sent chills down Daniel's back as it spoke.

"I-I-It can talk…?" Daniel stuttered, confused as all hell.

"Yup yup." George answered, chuckling a little at Daniel's reaction. Viola and the referee were equally surprised but got serious.

"Now THIS, should be interesting!" Viola declared, "Surskit, start things off with Ice Beam!" The Surskit fired the Ice Beam at the field, covering the floor they stood on with ice.

" _So that explains why the field was icey last time…"_

"Nice! Now, follow it up with Bubble Beam!" Viola's Surskit fired multiple bubble directly at Typhlosion.

"Typhlosion." Andres commanded.

"I know." It responded, building up a fire in it's mouth and shooting out a large ball of blue fire. The ball of fire popped the bubbles before they even got to it and melted the ice as it moved. Surskit attempted to move out of the way but the ball was too large and it was hit. A massive explosion followed after it. Everyone put up their arms as a shockwave blasted against them all. The smoke cleared to reveal Viola partly covered in in ashes and her Surskit in the wall of the room. Surskit fell off the wall, unconscious. "I apologize for that."

Daniel looked at the Typhlosion in awe, " _Dear Arceus, that Typhlosion is powerful!_ " He thought, taking sitting down on the bench next to George.

"Surskit is unable to battle. Typhlosion wins!" The referee declared.

Viola returned her Surskit to it's capsule and threw out her second one to unleash her Vivillon.

"Vivillon! Use Psychic!" Viola commanded, Vivillon's eyes glowed blue and Typhlosion was outlined in a bright blue color but nothing happened. "W-what's going on…?"

"George, why isn't Typhlosion being flung around like a little kid's toy…?" Daniel questioned, turning to George who was bursting out laughing.

"HA HA HA. I'm sorry! I shoulda said that for some unknown reason, Andres's Typhlosion is a fire AND dark type." George answered, wiping away his tears from laughing.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Daniel cursed, trying to put together how the hell Andres's Typhlosion can be the way it is.

"Vivillon, use-" Viola couldn't finish her command because Typhlosion fired a stream of blue flames at Vivillon. It couldn't dodge and so it was hit. The Vivillon fell to the ground, burned and unconscious.

"Vivillon is unable to battle! Typhlosion wins! Therefore, the winner is challenger Andres!" The referee announced the victory, no response, no clapping, nothing, everything was silent from shock except George.

"Cool." Andres said to himself recalling Typhlosion. Everyone in the room walked towards Andres.

"Congratulations… As proof that you won a Gym Battle against me, here's the Bug Badge." Viola applauded, the referee opening up a case to reveal said gym badge.

"Thank you" Andres said, taking the badge and putting it inside his badge case.

"So… Viola, do I have to wait another thirty minutes to battle?" Daniel inquired, turning to her.

"Not anymore, it's going to take an hour this time." Viola responded, she was still in shock at how fast the gym battle went.

"Good going jackhole." George joked, nuding andres with his elbow with him shrugging his shoulders in response.

They walked back, Daniel throwing at Andres a torrent of questions.

"HOW'S YOUR POKEMON THE WAY IT IS?!" Daniel shouted the question, Andres trying his best to answer.

"Look, I really can't explain how or why… When I found Typhlosion, he was just a Cyndaquil that JUST hatched from an egg. I don't know why or how he is the way he is." Andres replied.

"Okay, then… HOW IS YOUR TYPHLOSION ABLE TO TALK?!"

"Simple, I taught it how to speak."

"Oh…"

At the Pokemon Center, Lucario and Bisharp had already recovered and were already released from their pokeballs, waiting for their trainers.

"So, what's your story?" Bisharp asked, crossing his arms and looking at Lucario.

"What do you mean?" Lucario asked back, confused by the question.

"I mean, got any story to you or why you're absurdly fast?"

"Well, I've always liked to go fast. I don't know why, but the thrill of being able to move fast makes me happy. That's why I like fighting opponents who can counter it because that means I gotta go EVEN FASTER."

"That's… an interesting way to put it... "

"Yeah, I had lots of fun battling against you! You were adjusting to my speed which most can't seem to do! Well… most of it was fun, that horse-kick of yours hurt a lot!"

"Oh… sorry about that by the way."

"Ah, it's all good, I mean… We're kind of MEANT to take hits like that if we're battling."

"I don't know about that but I get what you mean."

"BUT, there's one person I've never been able to beat."

"Oh yeah, who's that?"

"Andres's Typhlosion." Lucario's expression changed from cheerful to semi-serious upon saying this.

"A Typhlosion? Shouldn't that, I don't know… be slow?"

"He's not slow… But he ain't fast either… But Typhlosion… He can predict my movements and adjust to my speed like it's nothing."

"Seriously? He sounds tough as all hell."

"He is, you'd have to be an idiot to underestimate him."

"I'll take note of that." Bisharp informed Lucario, they looked to the entrance of the Pokemon Center to see Daniel, George, and Andres walking in.

"Oh hey! Our Pokemon's healed up!" George stated, running over to his Lucario and giving him a high-five. Daniel walked up to his Bisharp and the two gave each other a fist-bump. They decided to sit down inside the Pokemon Center, where they sat last time.

"I'm assuming you guys want to participate in the Kalos League?" Daniel asked the two of them.

"Yeah" They both answered.

"What's your reason though I'm wondering."

"Well, I just want to see how far I can get." George explained, turning to Andres to hear his answer.

"So I can find strong opponents and see how strong Typhlosion can get." Andres said, "What about you?"

" _Should I tell them? They don't seem like the type who'd judge…_ " Daniel thought to himself, looking down at the table and backup at the two of them. "There's… someone I have to defeat in the Pokemon League…"

"Who? The champion?"

"No… someone different… I can't tell you guys right now."

"Ah, okay, I understand." George spoke, looking around at the pokemon center.

"So, when George battles next and wins… what's your next plan of action?"

"Move on to the next gym and win." Andres responded with no hesitation.

"Really? No… visiting places?"

"You see, Daniel, Andres and I plan on going through all the gyms as fast as possible so that way… We can have all the time to do extra training and well… visit places… it'll also make more time for us incase we need to go somewhere in-between gyms." George explained to Daniel, Daniel's eyes widening in shock.

"Wow… that… seems like a legit plan… never thought about that…"

"Yeah, it's worked for us. I came up with the idea when I met George in Unova and the two of us breezed through the gyms but when we saw the opponents we were fighting there… we backed out." Andres informed.

"What, were there a lot of strong trainers there?"

"The opposite, actually. None interested me and I thought it'd be a waste of our time battling these people."

"I see…"

"OH! OH! OH! I JUST THOUGHT OF AN AWESOME IDEA!" George stood up, proud of his new idea he just came up with.

"What's that?" Andres asked, resting his head on his hand.

"Hey! Daniel! How about you tag along with us!" George requested, Daniel's and Andres's eyes growing wide from shock. "Think about it! The three of us, journeying together and getting stronger! That'd be awesome! We'd be, the unstoppable trio!"

"I don't mind." Andres agreeing with George and turning his head to Daniel who was processing the request.

"I… uh… can you give me a minute…?" Daniel begged, getting up out of his seat. They nodded for yes as Daniel walked outside to the back of the Pokemon Center.

"What's up with him?"

"I don't know." George said, sitting on his chair once more.

Daniel walked out to the back of the Pokemon Center to see Ash and Alexa on opposite sides of the arena they're battling on. Ash had his two pokemon out but with balloons tied around them and Alexa with a Noivern. Daniel looked around to find Serena along with the other two people. Daniel stood there, looking at Serena for a whole minute, thinking everything through. He can't make up his mind right now. Daniel went back to the two and told them he'd have to make his mind up later.

An hour passes and Daniel decides he'll battle next so he can have more time to think about the offer. Daniel battles Viola and wins with a little bit of difficulty, especially against Vivillon because it can fly. Another hour passes and George battle Viola, having more challenge with Surskit because Lucario's speed was reduced because of ice beam. The three of them deciding to walk around the city, and socialize until the sun began to set.

"Yo, Daniel, have you made up your mind yet?" Asked George as they walked into Pokemon Center.

"Let me do something real quick." Daniel told them two, going out back again. Alexa was gone and Ash was still in the same spot but this time, his two pokemon didn't have balloons tied to them. They were dodging frupples that were thrown by Froakie.

"Oh, hey!" Serena waved to Daniel, jogging to him. "Where have you been all day? I tried looking around but you were nowhere."

"Oh, uh, I was hanging out with Andres and George the entire time. And we three battled Viola and won."

"Oh, you did? That was fast!"

"Yeah… Look… there's something I need to tell you…"

"What's that?"

"Look, I-" Daniel didn't finish because the little girl walked up asking why Serena left. Serena introduced Daniel to the little girl who introduced herself. Her name was Bonnie and the nerd on the sidelines was Clemont, her big brother. Serena tells Bonnie she'll be there in a bit and obediently, Bonnie walks back.

"What were you going to say?"

"Yeah, like I was saying… George and Andres invited me to journey with them and I decided I'm going to go with them."

"Oh, really? That's great! But…" Serena looked down, staring at the floor as she suddenly felt sad. "That means you'll be leaving…?"

"Yeah… I'm sorry… I… I know we just fixed things up but… I made a promise to Samuel or rather… we made a promise to each other…"

"What's the promise?"

"The promise is that we'll battle each other in the Kalos League. I haven't seen or battled him in so long, I can't help but want to keep that promise."

"So, you're still striving to achieve your goal? Of defeating Samuel?"

"Yes… and you know why better than anyone else besides me and him."

"Yeah… I'm happy you're journeying with others! But… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do…"

"You can journey with us! I'm sure George and Andres wouldn't mind either."

"Maybe, but… but... " Serena turned around to Ash, and looking back slightly blushing.

"That handkerchief thing, right? Then why don't you just give it to him?"

"I don't want to distract him and it's not that…"

"What is it if I may ask?"

"Look, I need you to promise me you won't tell ANYONE this… okay? Please…?"

"I promise, if it's a secret, you know I never spill the beans; even when I was an asshole back then." Serena leaned in to Daniel's ears and told him the secret. Daniel feelings a large range of mixed emotions from this secret he was told. "Y-y-you like h-" Daniel almost said out loud but was shushed by Serena who was blushing madly from embarrassment.

"PLEASE don't tell anyone!" Serena wisphered, Daniel mostly in shock.

" _I never thought I'd have to put up with it but I am… SHE… LIKES… Someone… That means she won't ever feel the same way towards me… She'll never… LIKE me… What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to do?!_ " Daniel screamed internally, "Well… if you like him… then… why… don't… you… go. With him…?" Serena gasped at this suggestion, it seemed brilliant.

"That's a good idea but… what about you?"

"I'm… going to be with George and Andres…"

"But how-" Serena didn't complete her thought as her friend placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled, forcing it.

"If it makes you happy, go for it… I'm happy if my friends are."

"Thanks, Daniel…" Serena thanked, Daniel taking his hand off her.

"But we won't be able to keep in contact much… maybe besides pokemon centers and all but…"

"Did you check ALL the features of the Pokedex?" Serena questioned her friend who was more confused than ever with the sudden topic change.

"Yeah… why…?" Daniel answered confusedly, Serena pulling up her pokedex and after pressing a few buttons revealed her screen. It had a keyboard at the bottom and on the other screen, had the title, Messenger. "I know about that… but what about it?"

"You silly, The professor told me it was for 'exchanging information with other trainers' but he never said we could use it to chat normally." Serena told Daniel. It was like an explosion just went off in Daniel's head, the biggest revelation of his life up till now.

"So… We can text each other with the pokedexes?!" Daniel concluded cheerfully.

"Yup! I just need your trainer code so I can send you a message."

Daniel scrambled for his pokedex and went through his setting to find his trainer code. He revealed it to Serena who typed away on her pokedex. She entered it in and typed in something.

"Hi!"

-Serena

Daniel looked down at his pokedex to find he received a notification. He opened it up and was taken to their chatroom and found Serena's message in a text bubble. Daniel typed in a few words himself.

"Wassup."

-Daniel

"Serena… YOU… ARE… A GENIUS!" Daniel praised his friend, putting his hand up for a high-five which she gladly returned. "Sweet! That means we can keep in touch even though we're far away!"

"Yup, now, go enjoy your journey with George and Andres. They're probably waiting for you." Serena said to Daniel who closed out his pokedex and put it in his pocket. "So I guess see you at the Kalos League then!"

"Yo, if you ever need my help with something or want me to drop by, just hit me up, okay?"

"Will do." And with that, Daniel raced back inside, filled with excitement he hasn't felt in a while. He told Andres and George he agreed to their offer and they were happy. The three of them waved everyone goodbye and took off, the sun almost out of sight now as they entered the forest of Route 22.

"Sweet, now with the three of us, we can make the DREAM TEAM." George said happily, "But we need a team name though…"

"You're still on about that George? Jeez, well, I mean… We COULD always use my idea. We can call ourselves Team Instinct." Andres suggested, turning to the other two to get their approval.

"Screw that, I say we go by the name… Team Mystic!" George declared, turning to Daniel then Andres for his approval.

"What about… Team Valor?" Daniel spoke up, George and Andres turning to Daniel, then all three of them looked ahead.

"No." They all said in unison.

"You know… We could get lazy and make our team name out of the first letter in our names…" George implied.

"WHAT can we spell with A, G, and D?" Andres asked george in a mocking manner.

"GAD"

"GAD?"

"GAD."

"So… You want to call our team… Team GAD?" Daniel questioned, wanting to reject the idea.

"No, no no! It's not going to be Team GAD… We'll be called… wait for it… The Holy GAD."

Andres and Daniel continued walking, thinking the idea through. "Works for us." They both agreed.

"All right! From here on forth… We are known as the HOLY GAD!" George announced, jumping in the air with excitement.

"Oh lord…" Daniel mumbled to himself.


	5. Chapter 5, A secret rivalry begins

_A massive fire emerged from the ground, engulfing the entire building in flames. The light emitted from the fire revealed some of the trees nearby as the building burned into a crisp._

 _Everything went dark_

 _Vision returned and he found himself being carried on his mother's back. He turned to the left only to find his little brother covered in ashes from the head down._

" _Mom… where's dad...?" The boy begged to his mother. He heard sobbing coming from his mother shortly after that question._

 _His big brother turned to him, a face filled with that of pain, "Daniel… dad's-"_

Daniel sat up immediately, gasping at this. He looked down at the ground, sweating bullets as his eyes watered up. The trainer rubbed his eyes, wiping away the tears. A cold breeze blowing through, causing Daniel to shiver easily. He turned around to find Andres sleeping against a tree with his headphones blasting music and George sleeping like a log between them two. He looked back up into the bright night sky, observing the stars and their beauty.

" _Got a busy day tomorrow… better get back to sleep…_ " Daniel reminded himself in his mind, laying back down on the floor, resting his head on his pillow.

Right before noon, everybody had woken up from their slumber. They packed up their stuff and continued moving through Route 22 and followed the road. They had slept outside because there wasn't a pokemon center nearby. As they walked, Daniel had his pokedex pulled up, texting a certain someone as they walked. George and Andres began to talk and noticed that Daniel wasn't listening and was paying attention to his pokedex.

"Yo, man, what you doing?" George asked, turning to Daniel.

"Nothing." Daniel replied, still typing away on the keyboard.

"What could you possibly be doing on your pokedex at this time?" Andres questioned, also curios.

"Texting."

"Texting who?

"My friend."

"Who's your friend?"

"Oh! Is it that one blond girl that was with you when we met yesterday?" George inquired, confident with his assumption.

"Yup."

"Ooooh, someone's in loooovve." Andres mocked Daniel, just picking at him thinking he was wrong. Daniel took his eyes off the pokedex to glare at Andres who appeared smug.

"You love her?" George asked, not catching onto Andres's sarcasm.

"No, I like her- UGH, DAMN IT!" Daniel said, slipping up on his answer.

"OH SHIT!" Andres jumped in surprise, surprised that his joke revealed something about his new friend.

"So THAT's why you were hesitant to leave yesterday!"

"No, Shut up!" Daniel's face slowly turned red from embarrassment, closing his pokedex and shoving it in his pocket.

"Dude, it's okay, not like we're going to do anything."

"If you like her, why didn't you invite her to tag along?" Andres argued, taking his pokedex to check on something.

"I did! But she declined." Daniel disputed, starting to get irritated with the situation.

"Why?"

"It's because she-... Had other things to do…" Daniel's expression darkened slightly, remembering the secret Serena revealed to him yesterday.

"Well, that sucks man." George said sympathetically, scratching the back of his head for no apparent reason.

"W-what about YOU guys? Huh? You made me spill the beans, what about you?"

"I don't like any girls." Andres answered bluntly, pressing a few buttons on his pokedex.

"I don't like anyone too." George also answered strangely.

"THAT, is a lie, and you know it."

"OKAY, MAYBE I hit on a couple girls from time to time."

"That's an understatement."

"Shut up man! You started this!"

"I know."

"And have you been successful yet, George?" Daniel challenged, curios about his answer.

"Yeah, I've had success." George answered confidently, almost proud of his answer.

"Emphasis on had." Andres mocked his friend, finally getting to the app he was looking for on his pokedex.

"Dude, shut up! You're not helping!"

"Who said I was helping?"

"Good point…"

"Anyways, guys, let's get serious real quick; look at this." Andres revealed what's on his pokedex to his two friend. It was a map of entire region of Kalos with a few markers and a names all over it.

"Is that a map of Kalos?" George asked the obvious.

"Yup, right now, we're on Route 22 and we just left Santalune City. We're going to make it through Route 21 as well and make it to Snowbelle City and fight the gym there."

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright… wait, so in what order are we doing these gyms?" Daniel begged, observing the map and figuring out the best route for them to take.

"Oh, guess I never let you in on our plan." Andres remembered, now pointing at the map, "So, George and I were originally planning on going in one big circle but that's out the window."

"What is it now?"

"So like I said, we're battling Snowbelle next, after that, we'll cut through Route 19 & 18 to hit Anistar."

"Okay…"

"Then we go through Route 17 & 15 to hit Laverre. So after we finish our gym battle there, we'll go back to Lumiose."

"Alrighty…"

"Then we shall head toward Courmaline via Route 13."

"OH, so then we go through and battle the Cyllage gym and we'll be set?"

"Yup, that's our plan. After breezing through, we can visit places we want and get stronger." Andres announced, putting his pokedex back in his pocket. After discussing the little tidbits of their plan, they continued onward through Route 22. Andres decided to let out his Typhlosion because they'd be walking alot and there was plenty of space this time around; So that's what Andres did. He let out his unique pokemon which stood at a height of nine feet.

"Jeez, he's tall" Daniel commented, George and Daniel decided to let out their respective pokemon. Bisharp turned around and jumped at the sight of Typhlosion.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Bisharp screamed, surprise to see something so tall next to him.

"Andres's Typhlosion, bud." Daniel answered his friend who was inching his way away from Typhlosion to get a better look at it.

"Hello." The Typhlosion spoke, sendings chills down Daniel and Bisharp's spine.

"Y-y-you can talk?" Bisharp asked weakly, he had no idea why this Typhlosion was intimidating to look at.

"Indeed, and you must be Bisharp, correct?"

"T-that's me…"

"Nice to meet you."

"Uhh… same here?"

"OH! Here's a brilliant idea! Daniel vs Andres in a pokemon battle!" George suggested to the group. Daniel turned to Andres, he began to feel unconfident at the thought of battling Andres.

"I like that idea, let's do it, Daniel." Andres agreed to the idea, turning to his Typhlosion for his approval. Daniel turned Bisharp who shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess." Daniel settled, George stepped on the sideline with his Lucario as Daniel and his Bisharp walked several meters away from Andres and his Typhlosion and turned around.

"You guys want me to count down or something?" George asked, believing himself to be the referee now.

"Whatever works for you."

"Alright, 3…" Daniel began sweat a little, remembering how easily Typhlosion disposed of it's opponents yesterday.

"2…" Andres smirked, anticipated for the upcoming battle.

"1…" Andres and Daniel make eye contact.

"GO!" George yells.

Bisharp starts the fight by charging at Typhlosion, hoping to see what it's capable of. Typhlosion shoots a stream of blue flames aimed at his opponent. Bisharp jumped in the air, above the flamethrower. When Bisharp got close to Typhlosion, he did a spin kick, hitting Typhlosion on the side. Typhlosion was unphased by the kick, grabbing Bisharp by the leg and tossing him away. Bisharp regained his footing and found a massive blue fireball heading his way. It was too big, he couldn't dodge so the only thing he did was put up his arms block it. Bisharp was absorbed in the inferno, followed with an explosion sending Bisharp flying away. Daniel expression changed quickly to concern as he saw his Bisharp blown away. Daniel's pokemon stayed on the ground, not getting up but it wasn't unconscious. Bisharp, through major difficulty, managed to get up; though he was shaking slightly.

Daniel looked at his pokemon, he was seriously burned all over and anyone could tell another hit like that could end the match here and now. Daniel didn't say anything, figuring asking how Bisharp was would be retarded because they both know he's seriously hurt.

"Bisharp… can you keep fighting?" Daniel called out his friend. Bisharp trudged towards Daniel, the closer he got, the more the burns were obvious. Steam was emitting from Bisharp because of the burns.

"Y-yeah…" Bisharp answered very weakly, struggling to stand up still.

"Should we end the match here?" Andres offered with disappointment.

"We can keep going…" Daniel denied the offer, unsure of himself whether that was the smartest of moves or not. Bisharp wiggled its arms and jumped around a little to get back into the game. After jumping around, Bisharp ran at Typhlosion again, wanting to try something else for a change. Typhlosion built up fire within himself and let it out in a flamethrower. Bisharp, instead of jumping, moved to the side and continued to run at Typhlosion again. The massive pokemon moved the stream of flames to follow Bisharp. The Dark Steel pokemon jumped over the stream and onto the other side of it. Typhlosion cut off the flamethrower, preparing a kick. Typhlosion kicked at Bisharp but his opponent sidestepped the kick. Bisharp grabbed ahold of Typhlosion's foot and pushed upward with extreme difficulty. Andres's Typhlosion toppled over onto it's back as a result.

Bisharp jumped above his opponent and dived at him. Typhlosion built up fire once more and unleashed it in a fireball.

" _SHIT!_ " Bisharp cursed to himself, using Iron guard and guarding against the attack. The inferno consumed Bisharp again and exploded, a massive ball of smoke taking its place. Bisharp fell through, his arms still up in a defensive position. Bisharp was more burnt than ever and was at the brink of fainting. The falling pokemon hardened it's head blade as it fell.

" _This may hurt._ " was what Typhlosion thought before Bisharp's headblade made contact with Typhlosion, Bisharp putting his entire body weight into the falling headbutt. Typhlosion gasped in pain, Bisharp rolled off of Typhlosion and lost consciousness at last. There was a bruise where Typhlosion was hit and the massive fire pokemon groaned as a result.

"Damn." George thought out loud, everyone surprised by the battle, "Oh! Uh… Typhlosion wins…?" Typhlosion rolled over, pushing itself up onto its feet. "Yeah, Typhlosion wins."

"Good battle, man." Andres told Daniel, smirking but it went away as fast as it arrived when he saw Daniel's expression.

"Yeah... " Daniel mumbled, looking at his defeated Bisharp and walking over next to it. Daniel knelt down next to his partner and put his hand on Bisharp's shoulder. Daniel immediately took his hand back as it burned on touch. Bisharp still emitting steam from his burns from taking Typhlosion's Inferno twice. "You guys got anything to help Bisharp?"

"No, sorry."

"Same here." George added, feeling bad for the Bisharp. Daniel took out Bisharp pokeball and returned his pokemon back into the capsule. Typhlosion looked down at Bisharp as he was returned into the pokeball.

Typhlosion was returned to its pokeball as it looked down at Bisharp who was returned to its ball. They all got up and continued to walk, Daniel not saying anything for a while as he was in deep thought.

" _Bisharp… Lost… That's another obstacle we have to put up with… And he said he's joining the pokemon league as well… WHY, just WHY is that Typhlosion so absurdly strong…_ " Daniel thought, taking out his pokedex to find he received several notifications from Serena because he put his pokedex away in the middle of their conversation.

"What was the dream?"

-Serena

"Hey, what's wrong? Why'd you get off?"

-Serena

Daniel looked down at his pokedex, remembering what they were talking about. Daniel opened up the app once more and began typing away.

"It wasn't a dream… it was a nightmare or something…"

-Daniel

Daniel stared at his screen for a minute before getting a message back.

"Well, do you want to share it considering you brought it up?"

-Serena

"Well… remember what happened to my family? 8 years ago…"

-Daniel

"That's when our families met."

-Serena

"I had a nightmare about what I went through before that."

-Daniel

Daniel stared at his screen more, waiting for a response. He couldn't blame her if she didn't come up with an answer. She's well aware about what had happened to him.

"All I can say is… don't let it ruin your day. Enjoy your time with George and Andres! Speaking of enjoying time… Ash asked me to travel with him! Can you believe it?!"

-Serena

"Oh, he did? That's great! Where are you guys headed to?"

-Daniel

"We're headed back to Lumiose City I think."

-Serena

"Cool, cool. Anyways, I gotta go for now, talk to you later."

-Daniel

"Cya"

-Serena.

Daniel closed up his pokedex and looked to his right to find Andres looking at him. Andres had been looking at Daniel slightly concerned for Daniel's emotional state after their battle.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked, wondering why Andres was lookin at him.

"Are you mad about our battle?" Andres asked back to Daniel.

"I guess… but… it's something else…"

"Welp, just gotta suck it up. More reason for you to get stronger. That's what we're all doing, trying to get stronger so it's okay. But worrying over one loss won't get you anywhere, just move past it."

"Alright…" They continued to walk, eventually making it into Route 21 where George started to tell jokes to brighten up the mood. This cheered up Daniel and an awkward silence no longer surrounded them. They all began to chat once more, George cracking jokes and his two friends enjoying them. It was only a matter of time when the temperature started to get cold and the more they walked, the more snow they noticed. Eventually, it got to the point the snow went up to their ankles and it was actually snowing on Route 21. "What's up with the snowing? Is it supposed to be like this?" Daniel asked Andres, putting both his hands into his pockets to keep them warm. George was freezing, shivering from the cold cuz he was wearing a T-shirt. Andres quickly pulled up his pokedex and found out that they were close to Snowbelle City and that the name gave it away on why it was snowing.

"George, I told you should've brought a jacket." Andres warned his friend, zipping up his own.

"I-i-i-i k-n-n-now..." George said, chattering because of the cold. Daniel looked at George, guilt and worry building up inside him. Daniel took off his hoodie and handed it to George. "W-w-what a-a-are y-y-you d-doing…?"

"I'm okay with the cold for the most part, you need this more than me. Wear it." Daniel informed his friend, motioning for George to take the hoodie.

"Dude, y-you'll g-g-get c-c-cold…"

"George, I'll be fine, just take my damn hoodie."

"T-t-thanks…" George did as told and put on the hoodie which was too big for him but it was better than nothing. George was right, in 30 minutes, the cold finally started to affect Daniel, his face slowly turning red and he shook slightly.

"Andres… are we there yet?" Andres pulled up his pokedex which was extremely cold, he checked their current location.

"Yeah, I think so, probably got another ten minutes if we go at this rate." Andres informed the group, almost wanting to make a suggestion.

"How about we book it. Plus, running would help warm us up…" They all agreed to Daniel idea and tried their best to run through the snow. They slowly warmed up and several minutes later, they found Snowbelle City in sight. They ran even faster, all of them wanting to reach shelter before they die from the cold. They finally arrived in Snowbelle City which mainly consisted of wooden buildings with their roofs covered in snow. After looking around for a bit they found the Pokemon Center in Snowbelle and went in right away. By this time, all of their faces were red and frozen, Daniel literally unable to feel his arms.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center, how may I help you trainer?" Nurse Joy greeted nonchalantly.

"Pokemon. Heal. please." Daniel said, barely able to say the words because his face was practically frozen. Daniel and Andres penguin walked over to the front desk, putting out the pokeballs for Typhlosion and Bisharp. The nurse placed the pokeballs on a basket and entered the backroom with her partner pokemon. They all penguin walked to the couches inside the pokemon center. They pointed their hands towards the fireplace and sat there, allowing themselves to thaw out. They sat there, taking in the feeling of being able to… feel...

Nurse Joy screamed in the back, Daniel quickly turning to the emergency room door in concern.

"Chill, it's just Nurse Joy probably taking Typhlosion out of his capsule. NO ONE, is used to seeing my Typhlosion the first time." Andres assured Daniel who sat back down on his seat. George giggled to himself and said a random number to himself, keeping a count to himself on how many times someone's screamed because of Typhlosion. I quickly became night and the it was dark outside. Nurse Joy returned with Bisharp sitting on a hospital bed and two pokeballs next to him.

"You're pokemon is all healed up." Nurse joy informed the group. Daniel and Andres walking over grabbing the pokeballs for their pokemon. Bisharp hopped off the bed as Nurse Joy returned the Hospital bed into the Emergency Room.

"Feeling better, buddy?" Daniel asked his companion who stretched from sitting for so long.

"Yeah, but I've felt better." Bisharp answered, looking around the pokemon center and taking the sight of the brick walls of the center. They all sat down relaxing and sinking into the couches.

"Y'know, I just thought of something…" Andres announced to the group, Daniel and George tilting their head to look at Andres. "There's a pokemon trainer I want to battle…"

"Oh yeah? Who's that, Andres?" George questioned his friend, sitting up right.

"Samuel Barsony, the Unbeatable Champion."

Daniel's eyes widened at this, he, too, sat up right on the couch.

"The unbeatable champion…?"

"Yup, and apparently, word is that he has a little brother who disappeared."

"Andres…, you want to battle Samuel?" Daniel asked, bothered for some odd reason.

"Yup, what? You know him?"

"Dude, I'm his little brother… Daniel Barsony."


	6. Chapter 6, Intentions revealed

"You're what?" Andres asked confusedly, sitting up straight in his seat on the couch.

" _Why did I speak up…_ " Daniel cursed in his mind.

"You're the little brother of Samuel Barsony?"

" _No use denying it now._ " Daniel thought to himself, making eye contact with Andres. "Yeah, I am."

"I don't believe you."

"It's true!"

George watched in awe, not sure what to say to the situation.

"How can you prove it?"

Daniel clenched his fist as he began to feel anger build up inside himself.

"We have the same last names, he's my older brother."

"Oh really?"

"Yes!"

"If you're his younger brother, then why are you here?" Andres inquired, crossing his arm and raising one of his eyebrows.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Really? From what I can tell, this is just a sibling squabble you two are having."

"Sibling… Squabble?!"

"What? You don't know what it is? You see, a sibling squab-"

"Shut up! I know what the hell it is! That's not the case!"

"Then what is it?"

Daniel stood there, clenching his fists even tighter. His expression changing from calm to irritated quickly.

"You won't understand! Bisharp and I have been through a lot!"

"Really? Then tell me. Cuz I'm calling BS that you're his brother still."

"HE IS MY BROTHER DAMN IT!" Daniel yelled, getting close to Andres. George got up as a response but didn't get close.

"Then why are you here? Why did you disappear like the rumors said?"

"I had no other choice!"

"For what? You wanted to leave the house early or something?"

"No! It's because of everyone else!"

"What'd everyone else do?"

"All those DAMN PEOPLE fucking always expecting the best from me, always setting high ass expectations!" Daniel moved away, throwing his arms around as he complained.

"What happened?" George finally spoke up, trying to get Daniel to explain his problem.

"Everyone's ALWAYS setting some fucking expectation for me JUST BECAUSE I'M HIS DAMN BROTHER. They're always like 'oh, he's the little brother of the Unbeatable Champion, uehhh, clearly, he'll be JUST as great!'" Daniel imitated the quote mockingly. Andres stood there, cringing at the lack of control Daniel was displaying at the moment. "Then when I don't fucking meet their expectations, they shit on me! They go like 'Oh, how can you POSSIBLY be his brother! You're a failure! Trash!"

"Dude, chill." George tried to calm down Daniel getting close but Bisharp stopping George.

"So you're out here because you hated people talking bad about you?" Andres asked, uncrossing his arm and looking around the Pokemon Center real quick.

"NO! If it wasn't for EVERYONE treating me like I was some trash that belonged in a garbage dump and not meeting their expectations, I wouldn't be here right now! I wouldn't have set out on an journey, I wouldn't have left the fucking house, all I would have is just me, Bisharp, and my crush on Serena."

"Wow, I'm sorry for what happened man…" George said sympathetically, feeling down as the situation tensed up.

"Who cares?" Andres said mockingly, Daniel and George turning to him instantly.

"Dude, that's messed!"

"Just suck it up, if you keep beating yourself up over something like that, you'll NEVER meet said expectations. Who gives a damn about what the others think? Only seek the approval of those you care about." Andres advised to Daniel who's expression softened up upon hearing this. As much as he wanted to get angry at that, it did have truth to it.

"Umm… guys, how about we call it a day, get some rest, sound good?"

"Yeah, I'm getting tired anyways…" Daniel agreed with George's suggestion, Andres also agreeing. They all went to their rooms in the pokemon center and slept with relative ease.

Everyone wakes up in the morning, George first, Daniel, then Andres. They go downstairs and sit down on the couches of the lobby room and sit in silence. George took it upon himself to break up the silence.

"Hey, guys, we should probably get going and battle the gym leader."

"Yeah." Andres concurred, turning his head to Daniel who looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"Alright… I'll battle first, okay?"

"Okay…" Daniel answered. The three of them got up and went outside, hit with a massive blast of cold air. They shook as a result and trudged through. After looking around and checking the map numerous times, they found themselves walking a slightly ice path which lead to a metallic building on top of a massive hill. The building was frosted over with a gym logo on the front doors and exhaust vents up top. The three of them wasted no time in getting inside to avoid the cold. They walked into a wide hallway with neon blue lights all over in set patterns. The floor consisted of grey square tiles and the walls were of the same color as the bricks. They walked to the other end with another door with the gym logo plastered on it and a display up top, above it. George walked into the door, believing that it was automatic like the rest.

"Why isn't the door opening?" Andres questioned, rubbing his hands together to warm them up.

"Yo! Is anyone here?!" Daniel yelled out, looking around the hallway for anything. They all backed up when five of the tiles on the floor descended and lifted back up, carrying Bergmite on each tile. The Bergmites turn around towards the door and a voice came through the display above.

"Welcome to the Snowbelle Gym. It's very cold inside. Please protect yourself against the cold before entering." The voice informed the group, stuttering slightly because of the cold.

"Damn it, Arceus."

The Bergmites lined up against the door, still facing it. The two doors moved apart, opening up the entrance to reveal the pokemon arena. The room was frosted over with the ceiling covered with giant icicles. The arena covered in ice and the other end of the room covered in ice that formed into a throne of sorts. The gym leader sat on the ice throne on the opposite end of the room.

The gym leader is an old, muscular man with light blue eyes. He has a gray beard and mustache that are cut out like side whiskers. He wears a blue winter jacket as a cape on his white tank-top. He also wears black pants and black boots with red heels; he also wears a locket around his neck. The gym leader sat cross-legged on his throne, his arms crossed as well.

"You guys did… well, you know? Good job making it here." The man congratulated, looking up at the group as they slowly entered the room.

"Thanks?" Daniel thanked the gym leader, thrown off by how the gym leader spoke.

"Hey! Are you cool with me battling you?" George requested to the gym leader.

"Was that intentional?"

"What is?"

"The pun."

"What pun?"

"Nevermind…"

"Tell me… how many gym badges do you all have?" the gym leader asked, sitting up straight on his throne.

"One for each of us." George answered the gym leader.

"I see…"

Daniel and Andres moved to the sidelines and George entering his side of the arena. George introduced himself to the gym leader and the gym leader introduced himself to the Holy GAD as Wulfric.

"All right, the Gym Match of the Snowbelle Gym will now begin! Both may use three pokemon each. The battle is concluded as soon as one party's Pokemon are all unable to battle. Furthermore, only the challenger is allowed to substitute his pokemon during the battle." The referee announced to the battlers as they reached for their pokeballs.

"Y'know what? Ice is both extremely hard… and terribly fragile at the same time. You know what that means? Depending on which pokemon you choose and what moves they use, my strength changes as well. But that's how it should be. Anyway, enough of my rambling! Let's get this show on the road!" Wulfric spoke, rambling on like he said but grabbing on to the pokeball he wanted.

"Well, let's see how Lucario does." George threw out his pokeball for his Lucario, releasing it. Lucario nearly slipped as he landed on the icey field but gained his balance.

" _Darn, not another ice field._ " Lucario thought to himself, remembering his last gym battle he had the other day. Wulfric threw out his pokeball to release a Abomasnow. The second Abomasnow was released, hail rained down on everyone and everything inside of the room. Daniel and Andres covering their faces as they were showed in hail, the two of them constantly cursing non-stop as the hail hit them.

"Abomasnow, Energy ball!" Wulfric commanded, his pokemon forming a ball of energy as told and firing it at Lucario.

"Lucario, counter with Aura Sphere!" Lucario formed a massive blue ball of aura between its palms and shooting it at the Energy ball heading in its direction. The Aura Sphere disintegrated the Energy Ball and hit Abomasnow within a few seconds. Abomasnow fell back slightly but regained its footing.

"Abomasnow, Ice Shard!" The Abomasnow fired several ice projectiles towards Lucario.

"Yo, dodge!" Lucario tried to move, adjusting to having to skate instead of running like he's used to. Lucario barely dodged the Ice Shards, next attempting to close the gap between him and Abomasnow. The Ice Shards turned around and followed George's Lucario as he skated. "Bone Rush!" Lucario made a bone and spun around, hitting all the Ice Shards as the got close; knocking them away and having them crash into the wall and floor. Lucario jumped up and spun around, covering it's arm in orange and used Power-up Punch on Abomasnow. The gym leaders pokemon was knocked away, crashing hard against the opposite wall. "Nice one!" George complimented his pokemon who turned to George and gave his partner a thumbs up.

"Nice, impressive! You're Lucario's good!" Wulfric praised, his pokemon getting back up with a massive bruise where the punch had connected with it. "Abomasnow, Wood Hammer!" The Abomasnow's arm formed into a green hammer arm as it jumped into the air bringing its arm back for its own punch.

"Lucario! Dodge and use Close Combat!" Lucario slid under Abomasnow as it threw the punch, immediately turning around. The opposing Abomasnow whipped around only to meet its defeat. Lucario quickly punched Abomasnow dozens of times within several seconds, launching Abomasnow far away. The Abomasnow slid on the icey floor before transitioning into rolling; It made contact with the wall shortly afterwards. The Abomasnow body rolled onto its back, unconscious.

"Abomasnow is unable to battle! Lucario wins!" The referee announced to everyone, Wulfric pulling out his pokeball to return his pokemon. Lucario rubbed it's arms, starting to feel the pain from the hail but it didn't bother him too much.

"All right!" Lucario cheered to himself, making a pose for George who gave his thumbs up. George constantly scratching his arms because of the hail causing irritation on his skin.

"Your turn!" Wulfric threw out another pokeball, releasing his Avalugg.

" _This thing's got a big noticeable weakness… Question is… Can George see it, too?_ " Daniel thought to himself, continuing to block against the hail that still continued.

"Lucario, let's see what happens when you use Aura Sphere!" George commanded, his Lucario doing as told and firing an Aura Sphere at the Avalugg.

"Gyro Ball." The Avalugg spun continuously and knocked the Aura Sphere away as it made contact.

" _Looks like his Lucario's going to have to get physical with that Avalugg._ " Andres observed, looking to Daniel who shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright! Let's see Bone Rush in action!" George's Lucario made a Bone staff and skated toward it's opponent.

"Stone Edge." The Avalugg stomped on the ground, several pillars of Stones emerging from the ground below Lucario, knocking him high into the air. "Follow it with Avalanche." A dark cloud appeared directly above Lucario as he ascended, an avalanche of snow hitting Lucario down to the ground. An explosion of mist occured when Lucario hit the ground, blowing away to reveal Lucario struggling to get up mostly because of the ice. Lucario had several small injuries, nothing to be too concerned with.

"Man, that was a fiesty combo, better not get hit by that again." Lucario said, mainly to himself as a note. Lucario ran at the Avalugg once more.

"Avalugg, use Stone Edge again!" The Avalugg did as told, several pillars of stone emerging from the ground quickly. Lucario was more prepared than last time, moving to the side slightly and pushing himself off of the pillar as it raised.

"Lucario! Aura Sphere!" George shouted towards his Lucario.

"Got it!" Lucario responded, spinning around and firing a aura sphere at his opponent. The Aura Sphere made contact, a small explosion followed by a cloud of mist that dissipated. It revealed the gym leaders Avalugg covered in a green glow, it's bruises disappearing slowly.

"Is it healing?" Daniel asked out loud, furrowing his brow at this.

"Its ability is ice body. That means… you know. While it's hailing, it recovers little by little." Wulfric informed everyone, George gasping at this.

"I guess that makes sense because it's ice and all." Andres said, putting on his hoodie so he can stop using his arms. Daniel took Andres's lead and used his hoodie to cover up his head as well.

" _That means we have to keep hitting this thing more than it can heal…_ " George thought to himself, his eyes widening in shock of an idea. George snapped his fingers and stood up straight to focus. "Hey! Lucario, come here real quick." George's Lucario skated over near his trainer where George unveiled to it, his brilliant idea.

"Aha! I like your thinking, George." Lucario complimented, knowing full-well that George couldn't understand him.

"Let's do this!"

Lucario started to skate towards Avalugg quickly.

"Avalugg, Gyro Ball." Wulfric commanded, his pokemon spinning repeatedly and moving towards Lucario as it span. Lucario's eyes widened as a flashback occured to him.

 _Flashback_

 _Bisharp dropped to the floor on his back, avoiding Lucario's strike. Lucario looked down at his opposition only to get horse-kicked in the face._

 _End_

Lucario slid on its back and before it can get hit by the spinning Avalugg, it attempted to horse-kick like Bisharp but was knocked away into the nearest wall.

" _O-kay… THAT did not go as planned._ " Lucario got up, looking at the Avalugg which had finished spinning and slowly turned to his opponent. " _How am I supposed to pull that off? Felt like I got hit by a ton._ " Lucario's body instantly aching the second he thought this. Another idea just hit Lucario, as stupid as it was, it's probably what's stupid about it that it JUST might work. Lucario jumped into the arena again, skating around the perimeter of it.

"Lucario! Use Aura Sphere!" George commanded, his Lucario not listening and instead, continuing to skate around the perimeter, picking up speed.

" _Sorry bud, not today. I want to experiment!_ " Lucario continued to skate, the Avalugg slowly turning around, trying to keep up with the Lucario but getting dizzy attempting.

"Lucario! What are you doing?!"

Lucario continued to skate and skate, getting faster and faster, forming another bone staff as it continued to skate.

"Oh! I know, you're going to build up speed and hit it!" George blurted out loud.

Wulfric told his Avalugg to stop this by constantly having him try to use Stone Edge. Lucario was too fast for the stone edge, it was a slug compared to Lucario's current speed as it continued to get faster and faster. Avalugg used Gyro ball and chased Lucario. Lucario was still to fast for Avalugg, the pokemon merely standing there and observing what it was Lucario was trying to accomplish.

" _Sorry bud, but I have an even BETTER idea!_ " Lucario thought, he noticed it was getting really really hard for him to turn at this point. Lucario chucked his bone staff into the ground and catching onto it. The Lucario started to spin repeatedly on the staff building up his speed more and more. Everyone watched in awe at the stunt Lucario was pulling. " _Now!_ " Lucario thought to itself.

Lucario's bone staff snapped in half as Lucario let go of it. Lucario was launched into Avalugg like a Pokemon Missile. Lucario losing consciousness as it made contact with the Avalugg. The opposing pokemon, however, was launched into the wall with a loud crashing sound. Lucario quickly regained its consciousness and was now immensely dizzy. Avalugg fell on it's back unable to get up because of its body and it was unconscious. George's jaw dropped at this, his Lucario covered in bruises as he slipped and slammed its face into the the arena ground. Daniel and Andres looked down at Avalugg, widening their eyes at a discovery. The area Lucario hit, made a massive dent in the Avalugg body from the impact.

"That was… very… very unexpected… you know…?" Wulfric commented pulling up his pokeball while a bead of sweat moved down his forehead because of confusion.

"Avalugg is unable to battle. Therefore, Lucario wins!" The referee announced, Wulfric recalling his pokemon in shock.

"Let's go, Bergmite!" Wulfric threw out a Bergmite like the ones from earlier. Lucario got up, his vision very blurry, he feels like he just slammed his head, no, his entire body against metal for hours on end. George's pokemon fell on its back, struggling to even stand anymore. Wulfric's Bergmite made its way quickly towards Lucario. "Icy wi-"

FWACK

"Oh… my… Arceus…" Daniel commented.

The part of the bone staff that snapped earlier boomeranged back and hit Bergmite as it approached. The Bergmite instantly fainted as it's body skidded next to it's trainer, unconscious.

"Uhhh… Bergmite… is unable to battle? So… Lucario wins… again…?" The referee said confusedly, George's Lucario finally getting and gaining it's footing. "The winner is… the challenger, George." Lucario turned to his partner and gave him a thumbs up.

"That, was… AWESOME!" George yelled, jumping onto the battlefield and slowly making his way to Lucario. The two high-fived and shook hands, silence occupying the room.

"Wow, that was indeed awesome, I must say." Wulfric congratulated, walking towards George and Lucario along with the referee. Daniel and Andres silently walked down to George, the hail finally stopping. "You're Lucario is very strong, and fast too. That's where it strength lies, this badge will be in good hands now." Wulfric handed out the Snowbelle city gym badge. George took the badge, thanking the gym leader and placing it inside his badge case. "Wow, only two badges, huh? You'll surely defeat all the other gym leaders like that, you know?"

"Excuse me, sir… when will we be able to battle you?" Daniel asked Wulfric, the man putting his hand on his chin thinking it through.

"With these injuries… I'd say two hours."

" _Damn._ " Daniel thought to himself, the Holy GAD taking off and staying at the pokemon center where Lucario will heal. Daniel and Andres talked with George about his battle, praising his Lucario. Two hours passed and Andres was the one to battle him next. Andres made quick work of the battle with his Typhlosion, defeating Wulfric's Avalugg and Abomasnow with one hit because of Inferno. Bergmite was a bit of a pain for Typhlosion, Typhlosion having to outsmart the Bergmite and hit it with Flamethrower. They waited another two hours and Daniel battled Wulfric. Bergmite was relatively easy for Bisharp, Bisharp having plenty of difficulty against Avalugg as he had to rely on ironhead to deal most of the damage. Abomasnow was less of a pain to deal with as his physical attacks would work fine.

In the end, Andres, George and Daniel received their badges and set off to Route 19 so they can continue on with their journey.

"Hey… Andres, I'm sorry for last night." Daniel apologized to Andres who turned to him, confused by the sudden apology.

"It's cool, I know you were frustrated." Andres accepted the apology, shoving his hands in his pocket as the cold was getting to him.

"Hey, at least you got it out. Sometimes, talking about your frustrations can help you feel better." George said, grabbing onto his arms from the cold.

"Yeah, Andres is right… I can't let others beat me down because I haven't won yet. That's why, like you said before, we have to get stronger! So I can defeat Samuel at last!" Daniel exclaimed to his friend who slightly chuckled.

"Then I guess we're going to have to battle again to see who gets to beat Samuel first." Andres challenged, Daniel quickly turning to him.

"It's going to be me!"

"Our battle says otherwise."

"Shut up!"

And so… The Holy GAD set off towards another city to continue their journey and enter the Kalos League.


	7. Chapter 7, Cringe Video

"Well, we're here." Daniel stated, the group walking into Couriway Town. The town was beautiful compared to the last two "cities" they had been to. Couriway Town was a town that had water flowing all around. Rivers flowing and separating parts of the town that are connected by stone bridges. There were several plateaus that created waterfalls that continued the stream of water. The buildings were of a light grey color with the roofs having a orange color to them. The buildings had an outer frame made of wood as well.

"Hey, this place looks nice! How about we stay here for the day and relax?" George suggested excitedly, looking around quickly wanting to take in the sight.

"What's there to do?" Andres asked, crossing his arms and pulling up his pokedex.

"I dunno, we'll just have to find out!"

"It works for me." Daniel said, agreeing with George.

"Then we should just put up our stuff at the Pokemon Center here." Andres advised the group, The Holy GAD explored the city, looking around for the Pokemon Center. After several minutes of looking, they found their target and entered the building. While they put up their stuff, Daniel's Pokedex rumbled in his pocket. He pulled it up and realised he had received a message from Serena. He opens up the app to see what it is.

"Hey, Daniel. How are you doing? Anyways, there's something I wanted to show you!"

-Serena

Daniel raised his eyebrows as he began to type away.

"I'm doing fine, just made it to Couriway Town with the guys. And what do you want to show?"

-Daniel

A couple of seconds passed by and Serena sent another message.

"I made a Pokevision!"

-Serena

"A what?"

-Daniel

"A pokevision, you don't know what it is?"

-Serena

"Apparently not."

-Daniel

"I would be surprised but Ash was the same. Well, I think you'll understand what it is once you see it!"

-Serena

"Okay. So, how do I see this 'Pokevision'?"

-Daniel

Serena told her friend what to do as he followed the given instructions. Daniel got on one of the consoles in the Pokemon Center, clicking on the different things he was told to click on. He then found himself in a website with a white background with the word Pokevision labeled at the top left of the screen. The top half of the page had an advertisement and above it, a search bar. To the right was a login tab that allowed you to make an account or log in. The bottom half had dozens of icons for different videos. Below the icons were the video titles and their length. They were sectioned off into different categories, the first category appearing being the "recommended" category.

"Okay, i'm on the website, what's next?"

-Daniel

"Go to the search bar and type in 'Serena's Pokevision'."

-Serena

"Seriously… that's what it's called?"

-Daniel

"It's my first video! I couldn't think of anything else!"

-Serena

Daniel started typing in the title of the video, catching George and Andres's attention.

"Yo, man, what're you doing on the console? We're about to head out." George called out to Daniel, leaning to get a better view of the screen. George and Andres walked up behind Daniel as he finished typing.

"The hell?" Andres spoke up, observing the website and it's features.

"Pokevision? What's that?"

"I don't know. Serena apparently made one and wants me to see it." Daniel answered their questions, clicking on the icon that had a picture of Serena and her Fennekin on it. It was a thirty second long video and it went like this.

The background was pink as the camera zoomed out to reveal Serena and her Fennekin. Her Fennekin wore a pink ribbon on it's head with a pink fuzzy collar. Daniel looked over at Serena and immediately blushed but maintaining a straight face. Serena wore a pair of Fennekin ears (In the same style that bunny ears are) along with a pink ribbon over it. She was wearing a pink sports bra with a pink fuzzy collar around her neck. She had pink wristbands and also a matching pink skirt that went down above her knees with a fuzzy trimming. A fennekin tail hanging off the back of the Skirt. The background changed to a open field with Serena and her pokemon playing together.

"*cough* *cough* I see why you like Serena." Andres mocked, Daniel turning to glare at him.

"S-shut up! It's not like that!" Daniel retorted, quickly turning back to the screen.

"I think it's cute." George commented, not getting a response in return. The screen transitioned into a kitchen background with Serena's outfit changing to her normal attire she wore. Serena narrated, explaining her relationship with her Fennekin. She wore a pink apron over it this time and held a spatula in hand. Serena mixed a bowl of dough and fed a spoonful to her Fennekin which gladly at it. The background changed to the open field with Serena and her Fennekin playing around (without the aprons). After several seconds of this, the background once more, changed to a pathway leading up to a mansion. Serena wearing a dress and spinning around with Fennekin in her hands. After spinning around, she turned to the camera and waved goodbye as the screen cut to white.

Daniel turned around to Andres who shrugged his shoulders and to George who raised his eyebrows.

"That was… interesting…" Daniel concluded, closing out the browser and shutting down the console. Daniel opened up his pokedex to send Serena a message.

"I saw the pokevision."

-Daniel

"Oh, how was it?"

-Serena

"It was… nice."

-Daniel

"Thanks! What's with the extra dots?"

-Serena

"Oops, sorry. It was a typo."

-Daniel

Daniel lied with that message, it was intentional.

"Hey, I think we should make a pokevision too!" George suggested to the group, both Daniel and Andres turning to him quickly.

"No." Andres simply answered, crossing his arms like usual.

"Come on! It'll be a lot of fun! We can become popular and everyone will know of the HOLY GAD!"

"Okay, say we do go through with this… how do we make one?" Daniel asked George who put his hand on his chin and looked down at the ground in thought.

"We can ask Nurse Joy!"

"I really doubt she'll know anything."

"Won't know until we try!"

George went up to Nurse Joy, asking her about Pokevisions. She pointed George to a seperate booth inside the pokemon center with a man behind the counter, waving at them. The group walked over, the man handing over a bag filled with recording equipment and a large Camera. The man explained to the group how everything works and sat back down in his seat. George took the camera with Daniel holding onto the bag of equipment. They walked out of the Pokemon Center, George almost jumping with excitement.

"Alright guys! Let's figure out a place to record!" George stated to his friend, Andres sighing in disbelief. They walked around town, trying to find the best place to record. As they walked around town, they found a open part of town with plenty of stands for different products. They looked around, looking at the different products of the stands.

"Hello! You there!" A voice called out to them, they turned around and discovered a stand with a label that read "Pokemon Modification." They saw two fellows in lab coats and wore safety masks over their mouths. One of them had goggles and the other didn't. The man without the goggles motioned for the guys to come over. They looked at each other, very suspicious, and cautionatelly walked over. "Would you be interested in testing out our new device?"

"Uhh… What's the device…?" Daniel asked, turning to George and Andres quickly.

"Ah, yes… We should probably explain our business first, apologies for our lack of explanation. You see, the group I am a part of is known as 'Team Tech'."

"Team Tech? What… like Team Rocket?"

"Heavens no, we are nothing compared to those filth. Our dream, as Team Tech, is to help other pokemon in need."

"So like helping homeless pokemon?"

"Not exactly, we have a target audience of Pokemon whom we wish to assist."

"And that audience is…?"

"Disabled pokemon, and we do mean in general. Pokemon that have lost something very dear to them such as a limb or have lost the ability to move."

"So… how do you plan on helping?" George asked, the man without the goggles turned to George and back to the group.

"Through technology, hence our name. Let us say, for example: A charizard lost one of its wings, the major factor which allows it to fly and earns it the name of a flying type. Our solution is to make a cybernetic Charizard wing and replace the missing one."

"Oh, wow! That's cool! So is that the device you mentioned before?"

"Along those lines. Our device is for a special kind of disability, one in which the pokemon is born without a component. Our team does not have any disabled pokemon which is why we're unable to produce our experiments."

"What's the device?" Andres asked, the man's partner reaching into a box and pulling up a metallic rod with several screws. Attached to the rod was with several brown straps that could be readjusted.

"How is this supposed to work?" Daniel asked, giving the bag to Andres as he took the device with both of his hands.

"It is meant to be strapped onto a pokemon, specifically, the area in which the component is missing. You simply strap the device on and ta-da."

"So… this thing is what's supposed to replace a missing part?"

"Oh, of course not, it's the base which can be added to. With this contraption of ours, we can add said cybernetic parts that are missing. However, like previously stated, we are unable to test if this works or not. Which is why I ask you fellows if you have any pokemon that could possibly test this."

"Yeah, I have a pokemon that's missing an important part."

"May we test it on your pokemon then?"

"S-sure." Daniel reach for his pokeball and let out Bisharp.

"Whoa, a bladeless Bisharp, that's weird." The other person with the goggles commented, getting a look from Daniel but he turned back to Bisharp.

"Hey, Bisharp, can you put your arm out?" Bisharp extended his right arm, the man without the goggles went around and grabbed the device from Daniel.

"Apologies for appearing rude, I wish to show you how to install the device." The man informed, placing the device at the center of Bisharp forearm and tightening the straps around Bisharp arm. "Is this uncomfortable? The device." Bisharp nodded no, "Splendid, now, can you retrieve one of the blades?" He said, turning to his partner who reached inside the box. The partner pulled a long (at the base), curved blade and handed it to the man. The man took the blade and attacked to to the base, making a clicking sound.

The partner grabbed several screws from the box and gave it to the man. He screwed in the screws into the holes of the base that went right through the blade as well. After doing so, the man let go of Bisharp's arm, Bisharp looking at the metallic blade in awe.

"Now, good sir, would you mind stepping back and swinging your arm around? I request this to see if the blade and the device stays on while you are moving." Bisharp stepped back as requested and swung his arm round, spinning around and slicing. The blade didn't move an inch, it stayed on like he was born with it. "I see it works, now, the better question, will it stay on when it makes contact with something? Say, would any of your pokemon be strong enough to carry a large brick?"

"Oh, yeah! My Lucario can!" George took out Lucario, who waved hello to everyone. Lucario went around and picked up the large brick.

"Now, Bisharp, how about attacking the brick with the blade?" Bisharp swung at the brick carried by Lucario. A chunk of the brick came off with the rest of it cracking and breaking. Bisharp looked down at his blade, no dent, no scratch even, spotless.

"Works like a charm." Bisharp said, turning to Daniel who relayed the message to the man.

"So, do we have to pay for this?" Daniel asked.

"Well, considering you were willing to help test our new device and be our first customer. We'll give you the device for free! We'll give you a second pair to go on Bisharps other arm.

"Oh, wow! Thanks a lot!"

The man placed the second blade on Bisharp's other arm and turned to the group.

"If you, by any chance, need any help with your device. Please feel free to call us." The man took out a slip from his pocket and handed it to Daniel. Daniel took the slip and looked down at the paper, reading the phone number and other information on it.

"Professor… Roloane…?" Daniel read off the paper, looking up to the man without the goggles.

"At your service, my partner here is simply named Dave." The Professor pointed to his partner who waved.

"Alright… Thanks a lot! Professor Roloane and Dave!" And like that, the group moved on, following their original objective. Bisharp and Lucario were returned to their pokeballs.

"Wow, you're lucky man!" George complimented, turning on the camera to test it out.

"Yeah, thanks man."

"Now… Let's go work on our pokevision!"

"You mean YOUR pokevision?" Andres corrected, George looking at him with slightly annoyance.

"No, I say OUR because it's a Pokevision about US, not me." George stated, Andres rolling his eyes at this.

" _Something tells me this'll take a while…_ " Andres thought to himself shortly after, shoving his hands into his pockets.

 _Several hours later…_

"I'M SO HYPED!" George said, jumping out of his seat with excitement, Daniel and Andres looked at him disappointingly.

"All right, I'll start the private showing of the final product!" The man from before (the one who gave them the equipment) announced to the crew, pressing a few buttons on his projector. George sat back down on the couch with Daniel and Andres. The lights of the room were turned off and the device projected the screen onto the wall in front of all of them. The number three showed up, and it counted down. Two, one, and it was no longer a black screen.

"Hey, my name's George, and this is my partner, Lucario!" George's voice sounded from the speakers, the camera zoomed out to reveal George and Lucario standing still in front of one of the river with one of the waterfalls in the background. George and Lucario struck similar poses before diving into the water and making a big splash.

George looked down at his clothes which were still wet from that. He looked back up and the screen transitioned.

"And over in this corner here, is the one… and only… Daniel! With his best bud, Bisharp!" The camera focused on Daniel sitting on a random bench against a building with Bisharp standing next to him. Daniel turned to the camera and forced a smile while giving Bisharp a fist-bump. Daniel made a peace sign with his other hand after the fist-bump. "Awesome! And in this corner… we have the mysterious… the special…-"

The camera moved from behind a corner to reveal Andres who was looking away with Typhlosion next to him. Andres turned around to the camera and immediately covered his head with his hoodie.

"George! Put the camera away!" Andres yelled at George, turning away, showing his back to the camera.

"All right! All right! Chill Andres!"

The screen changed to a picture of the pose George and his Lucario made.

"G… for George!"

The picture shrunk and moved to the left side of the screen. A new picture popped up and it was a picture of Andres with his back turned to the camera and Typhlosion next to him.

"A… for Andres!"

The picture shrunk to the middle of the screen, right next to George's picture. The last picture popped up, it was a picture of Daniel and Bisharp fist-bumping.

"D… for Daniel!"

Daniel's picture shrunk to the right side, next to Andres's. All three pictures grew in size until all three filled the the entire screen.

"Together we form… The Holy GAD! And we're gonna win the Pokemon League!"

The background changed to pure black as the credits scrolled up.

"That… Was…. AWESOME!" George stated, jumping out of his seat once more, turning to his two friends who did not seem satisfied for the most part. Andres cringing and facepalming while Daniel looked at the screen with disappointment, only having a small frown on his face.

"Would you like me to upload this?" The editor asked, turning the lights back on in the room and turning off the projector.

"Yes please! It'll be called… The Holy GAD or… Meet the Holy GAD! Yeah, I like that second one."

"Alrighty, I will inform you all when it's done uploading."

"Thanks!"

The three of them left the room, sitting down on the couches inside the pokemon center.

"George, I'm not gonna lie, that was cringy as fuck. We could've spent the day progressing with our journey but instead, you chose to do this." Andres informed George, the excited friend looking at Andres slightly discouraged by the lack of enthusiasm.

"Hey, we needed to announce the Holy GAD to the entire world anyways! Everyone needs to know of the team who will beat them during the Pokemon League!"

"Yeah, problem is, only one of us can win." Daniel interjected, sinking into his couch seat.

"Okay and? You'll still be representing the Holy GAD!"

"Ugh…"

They sat there for several minutes awkwardly for the most part. They tried changing the topic but kept going back to silence after a bit. The editor peeked out from behind the counter and announced to the group that their video was uploaded. George zoomed over to the nearest console and logged in as fast as he could.

"George, are you going to watch the video again?"

"Of course! Time to see how popular it is!" George got on the Pokevision website and searched for his video. After finding it, his face changed from excitement to major disappointment. One view which was his own, zero likes and zero dislikes, and zero comments. George's facial expression changed immediately when he clicked on the like button and got his first like. "Alright guys, I'm ready to go!"

"George… it's almost night… and I'm tired, we should just go to bed and leave first thing in the morning tomorrow." Andres told George, George chuckling in response.

"Oh… uh.. Yeah… sorry about that guys."

"Oh boy…" Daniel mumbled. They all packed their stuff and went to bed, woke up the next morning and set off on Route 18 to battle the Anistar Gym.


	8. Chapter 8, Representative of Creation

"I can see it!" the woman called out to her students.

She is a dark-skinned woman, having curled purple hair and violet eyes. She wears a pair of star-styled earrings, a black suit with a steel color on her shoulders, two rings around her arms, as well as grey ballet-like shoes. She also wears a silver cloak, with star pattern underneath. On top of all this, she wears red lipstick and white nail polish.

She was suddenly outlined in a light blue color as she was lifted into the air along with her two Meowstic by her side, also outlined in blue. She spread her arms out, as she emitted a green light from the inside of her cloak, giving everything inside the room a green tint. A green sphere which had a fog-like texture formed in the center of the room.

"In the near future, the one to become representative will arise! The representative of creation!"

A stone in the shape of an Octahedron formed on the screen, half the stone having an dark green color while the other had a golden yellow color.

"The wielders of this immense power..."

The image of the stone faded and revealed an image of Daniel and Bisharp. All the students looked up in pure shock, trying to fathom the information which they were being told.

Elsewhere…

The Holy GAD enters Anistar city, the city was made up of relatively tall buildings, only reaching a height of five stories tall. All the buildings were of very bland colors with solar panels covering the roofs of most of the buildings. Tall trees filling in the gaps between each of the buildings, the city having a pathway leading up to the dock of the city because it was next to a massive sea. The dock was made up of one singular bridge elevated several meters above sea level. The bridge connected to a massive magenta colored stone that was spiky. The stone was about as large as the tallest building there.

The group sat there inside the pokemon center, relaxing from mostly having to speed-walk their way from Couriway Town. They sped-walk to make up for their "wasted time" according to Andres in Couriway Town. George bolted to the console and scrambled to pull up their video. When he pulled it up, he was greeted to two likes, five dislikes, zero comments, and twenty views.

"George, how's the video doing?" Daniel called out to his friend, turning his head towards George as he sat on one of the couches there.

"Uhh…. it's doing good!" George answered, exiting the website and closing the console.

Andres was very skeptical, he didn't believe George. How could such a BAD video be "doing good"?

"Well, what's the plan guys?" George asked his friend, walking back towards them.

"The gym obviously." Andres quickly responded, not thinking twice about his answer.

"Well, I was kind of curios about that big stone we saw on our way here." Daniel said to Andres, Andres looking to him and away.

"Oh! I know what you're talking about! Let's go check it out!" George also said, agreeing with Daniel.

"All right, sounds good, we can go check it out real quick and then we can battle the gym." Andres complied.

"Let's go take a look.." Daniel settled, all of them getting up and exiting the pokemon center. They made their way through the city, following the signs which took them to the bridge which lead up to the large stone. The stone was connected to a relatively large platform which held the stone in place.

"Whoa! Check this thing out!" George exclaimed, running up, taking in the sight of the massive stone.

"Jeez, this thing's on roids."

"I thought there'd be more to it." Andres spoke, walking next to Daniel.

"I know.. But look at this thing!"

"Yeah, it's big, but what else? I'm don't see anything special about it besides the fact it's big. We should just head over to the gym."

"Alright, let's go guys!" George exclaimed, turning around and walking towards his two friends. The three of them walked around the city for quite a bit because the gym was slightly more difficult to find than the others. The gym was on the outskirts of the city, the perimeter was surrounded by a few trees, the gym and the trees being seperated by dozens of meters of grass. There was a brick pathway up to the building.

The building was rather tall with a light grey color, the material of the building shined in the light. The building had several pillars as a part of the walls, and lastly, the building had a hemisphere for a roof, made up of several large tiles. Hovering above the building, supported by golden beams, was three gigantic golden arcs slightly longer than the building. Of course, the front of the gym had a gym symbol on it indicating it was a gym building. Upon entering, they were greeted to the the pokemon battle arena for the gym. The entire center of the building was the arena and the sides were where the spectators observed.

The arena was a large glowing cyan platform with white markings which showed it was an arena. Below them were large cogs that spun and the interior of the hemisphere roof looked like outer space. With nothing but a beautiful view of the stars and space. Andres looked around, a smile on his face as he simply stared up at ceiling.

"Andres, don't get lost in space." George said to Andres, who continued to stare up.

"What's up with him?" Daniel asked George, looking up to see what was intriguing Andres so much.

"Andres has a thing for space."

"A thing…?"

"I want to become an astronaut. Space has always interested me, ever since I was a kid. Just imagine, HOW COOL it would be… to venture up into space, feel weightless, and explore the unknown!" Andres answered Daniel, looking down smirking.

"Is that so? I can understand why, It would be cool to go out into space someday."

"YOU!" the voice of a woman sounded from the other side of the room. The entire group turned towards the other side to meet a woman (the one from earlier) and two others alongside her.

" , is that them?!" one of the two people asked the woman.

"Yes, that is them without a shadow of a doubt." The woman named Olympia confirmed, floating in the air surrounded in a cyan blue outline as she hovered near the group with the help of her Meowstic. Daniel, George, and Andres looked at each other, confused by the situation which they were in. "You are the one to become the representative!" Olympia stated, pointing towards Daniel.

"Me? Representative of what?!" Daniel quired, raising both his eyebrows in confusion.

"Of Creation."

"w-w-WHAT?! I don't mean to be rude but what have you been smoking?"

" is able to see the future." A blue haired girl came up, accompanied with a red haired girl with two ponytails.

"See the future?!" George, Daniel, and Andres exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes, learns about the future by being guided by the voice of the stars."

"Awesome! Can you see my future?" George begged, getting close.

"It does not work like that. To put it in simple terms, it's a come and go type deal, it doesn't happen at will."

"Okay… but… what's with this nonsense of me being the 'representative of creation'?" Daniel asked, looking up to Olympia who remained floating.

"There is a legend that states that every millenia, one shall rise to become representative of creation! I have been told by the stars that you are the next!" Olympia explained to Daniel.

" _What is this lady talking about… I still don't know what the fuck she means by representative of creation!"_ Daniel thought to himself.

"Thought I'm not sure what it is, I saw this which pertained to your future!" Olympia informed, floating back and spreading her arms to emit a green glow from inside her cloak. Everything inside had a green tint now as a sphere formed in front of her and above everyone.

Inside the sphere, a pure black figure appeared, only it's eyes weren't black. The eyes were white with black pupils, the figure closed their eyes for several second. When the figure opened its eyes, the pupils were now red.

" _Red eyes? The hell?_ " Andres thought to himself.

" _Bloodshot eyes?_ " George thought.

The black figure dissipated and revealed another black figure which took the shape of a pokemon. Like the previous figure, it's eyes were white with black dots. The figure was suddenly shrouded in a unknown aura with two red dots glowing within the aura. The sphere disappeared and everything returned to its normal color.

" _What was that…? Both of those figures had red eyes… what's it supposed to mean? Oh wait, I wonder…_ " Daniel thought, looking directly at Olympia who looked back. "Hey, could you tell me if I ever get w-... nevermind…"

"Get what?" Olympia asked, with a baffled expression.

"Nothing." Daniel quickly replied,looking down at the ground, " _It's better if I don't say…_ "

"I'm assuming you three are here for a gym battle?"

"Yes" they all replied.

"I will tell you now, my gym battle is a double battle so you'll have to use two pokemon."

"Oh? Well… each of us only has one pokemon…" Daniel informed Olympia who closed her eyes in thought.

"I will allow two of you two battle a the same time to meet my double battle requirements."

"Really? Thanks! Hey, Daniel, let's do this." George said enthusiastically, patting daniel on the back.

"Oh, uh… sure." Daniel agreed.

The referee, the challengers, and everyone else got into position. Andres standing on the sidelines with all of Olympia's students observing the battle from the polar opposite side from Andres. The referee announced the usual, stating who the challengers were and that they were going against the gym leader, Olympia. Olympia sent out her two Meowstic which stood by each other. Daniel and George threw out their pokeballs to release Bisharp and Lucario. Bisharp immediately looked down at his arm to find the blade still there.

"Heh, I guess this'll be a battle test for those things." Lucario told Bisharp who looked up to Lucario.

"Yeah, I guess you can put it like that" Bisharp said, agreeing with Lucario and the both of them facing their opponent.

"May the battle, begin!" the referee announced.

"Helping hand, as well as future sight." Olympia commanded, the male meowstic surrounded in a yellow aura as it held hands with the female meowstic. The yellow aura switched to the other meowstic, several blue sphere surrounded in white shot out of it's ears and disappeared upon reaching the ceiling.

"Lucario, use extreme speed and close that gap!" George ordered, Lucario speeding forward as fast as it can. Bisharp followed behind Lucario, trying his best to keep up. The Meowstics were outlined in blue as they moved to the side quickly, getting away from Lucario and Bisharp. The meowstics took to the air and flew in circles. Daniel and George looked to each other and nodded, looking back at their pokemon. Bisharp got on its knees and put his hand together, nodding at Lucario. Lucario ran toward bisharp and placed his foot on Bisharp hands. Bisharp instantly threw Lucario up into the air up to the same level. Lucario made two small bone sticks and threw them at different directions. One of the bones spun towards one of the meowstics, it responded by flying away from the attack. The Female Meowstic that dodged looked up and got hit by the other stick thrown.

The Female Meowstic fell from the air, Bisharp running towards the falling Meowstic and jumping in the air. Bisharp grabbed ahold of the opposing Meowstic and slammed it into the ground as he came close to the ground. Lucario, who had already landed on the floor, ran towards Bisharp and Meowstic, charging a Power-up Punch. Meowstic got up and used Psychic to redirect Lucario's punch at Bisharp knocking him far away. Three portals opened up above Lucario as the blue spheres from earlier rained down on Lucario, damaging him. Bisharp and Lucario got up, both bruised.

"Future sight and psychic are going to be a pain to counter." Daniel concluded, crossing his arms out of slight nervousness.

"Psyshock and Dark Pulse!" Olympia commanded, both meowstics flying together in the air and using the moves they were told. The dark pulse was fired at Bisharp while the Psyshock projectiles were fired at Lucario. Lucario and Bisharp turned to each other and nodded, Bisharp ducking out the way of the dark pulse. Lucario jumps out of the way of the projectiles while charging a aura sphere. The Psyshock projectiles homed on Lucario as he charged his attack. Lucario jumped toward the male Meowstic but was frozen in place because of psychic. The projectiles made contact with Lucario, each one exploding as it made contact. The smoke cleared and Lucario's aura sphere disappeared. Bisharp jumped into the air toward the Meowstics and was greeted with Lucario being flung at him.

They let go of Lucario as they threw him, Lucario gaining control and directed himself away from Bisharp as he was flung. Bisharp threw a punch at the opposing Meowstic but they moved out the way of the attack. The Dark Steel pokemon fell down and slid on his side.

"Future sight and helping hand, go!" Olympia ordered once more, the two repeating the process from before. Bisharp and Lucario regrouped, while the process was happening.

"Damn it, how are we going to take this on?!" Bisharp cursed, watching the blue spheres be made.

"Yo, check this." Lucario formed a bone staff and handed it to Bisharp.

"The hell you want me to do with this?"

"I got a plan, I think you'll know it when you see it."

"Hey, Lucario! Why'd you give Bisharp your bone staff?" George asked, Lucario turning to his trainer and giving his best thumbs up.

"Jump, Bisharp!" Lucario told Bisharp, Bisharp jumping in the air, curious as to what this "plan" was. Lucario charged another aura sphere as he jumped into the air towards the male meowstic. The Fighting pokemon spun around quickly and fired the aura sphere directly at Bisharp. The Male Meowstic froze Lucario in place, Bisharp trying to figure out what to do with an aura sphere heading towards him.

A light bulb went off in Bisharp's head as he extended the staff forward and spun around as the blue sphere came close. Bisharp swung at the Aura Sphere with the Bone Staff, redirecting the attack at the Male Meowstic which wasn't paying attention. The Aura Sphere came at the meowstic like a blur, making contact right away. Lucario fell from the air, landing on his back while the opponent pokemon was knocked far away and onto the floor.

"Thank Arceus you caught on, dude." Lucario joked with Bisharp who was running towards the Lucario. The Male Meowstic got up, slightly injured and flew up into the air. Three portals appeared above both Lucario and Bisharp, both of them looking up as they were pelted with the projectiles from future sight. The smoke cleared and Bisharp and Lucario were getting up off the ground, more injured than before.

"Dark pulse and helping hand" Olympia order, the female meowstic firing a large dark pulse at the two of them. They jumped out of the way in opposite direction, charging towards the meowstic as fast as they can. Lucario charging up an aura sphere and firing it at the female meowstic and jumping towards the male right after that. Bisharp jumps towards the female, hardening his head blade. The male meowstic froze Lucario in place, and the female redirected the dark pulse at the aura sphere to blow it up. Bisharp got close to the female meowstic and headbutted it as hard as it can with his head blade. The male spin Lucario around and throws him at Bisharp, the two of them knocked to the ground.

The female, badly bruised, got up and joined its other, Olympia telling them to use Helping hand and Future sight and the two of them repeating the process once more.

"NOW, WHILE THEY'RE DOING THEIR THING!" Bisharp yelled, getting up and running towards the two, fighting through the light-headedness of getting up quickly. Lucario hopping on his feet and using extreme speed to close the gap and jump up into the air. Bisharp grabbed ahold of the female meowstic, catching it off-guard. Lucario charged a power-up punch and brought his fist back. Bisharp spun around, hitting and catching the other meowstic with the female one. Bisharp brought them close to Lucario as he threw his power-up punch at the male. They were both knocked far back, the female coming unconscious and the male badly bruised.

The male meowstic rose into the air, awaiting a command from his trainer.

"Meowstic, use Psyshock!" Olympia commanded her pokemon, it doing as told and firing dozens of projectiles at Bisharp and Lucario. Lucario jumped above the projectiles, closing the distance between him and his opponent and the projectiles hot on his tail. The male meowstic froze Lucario in place once more while Bisharp ran towards Meowstic from the side. Bisharp jumped up, hardening his head blade once more, Meowstic panicked, letting go of Lucario to move out of the way. Lucario fell right under the projectiles which hit Bisharp instead. Lucario charged an aura sphere and fired it at the Meowstic which continued to dodge the attacks. "Meowstic, dark pulse!" Olympia's Meowstic fired the beam directly at Lucario. Bisharp got up and ran towards lucario quickly.

"Counter that and throw me at the Meowstic, okay?!" Bisharp yelled, Lucario firing a aura sphere at the beam to counter it. Lucario grabbed ahold of Bisharp and spun him several time before chucking him at Meowstic. Bisharp hardened his blade once more, the smoke cleared and Meowstic was right in front of him. Bisharp hit the Male Meowstic with iron head, the opposing pokemon losing conscious and getting sent flying away. Bisharp fell and hit the floor, laying there. Lucario ran over to his friend and helped pick him up.

"The Meowstics are both unable to battle. Lucario and Bisharp win! Therefore, the winners of this battle are challengers George and Daniel!" The referee announced, Daniel and George exhaling as though a massive weight has been lifted. Daniel and George turned to each other as they shook hands and fist-bumped. The trainers and their pokemon walked over to each other, all of them exchanging fist-bumps with each other and smiling.

"Congratulations, future representative of creation, Daniel, and challenger George." Olympia congratulated, returning her pokemon to their capsules as all her students and her came down to the arena along with Andres.

"Can you stop calling me that? It's just Daniel, nothing else."

"All right, Daniel, and George, as proof that you have defeated me in battle, I present to you the Psychic Badge." Olympia handing over two badges, one to Daniel and George. They put the badges in their case. "Daniel, a piece of advice for your future."

"What's that?"

"Don't give up."

"O-kay… thanks…?"

"Your welcome."

The Holy GAD returned to the pokemon center where Daniel and George rested their pokemon. An hour later, George and Andres taking on the gym leader again so Andres can battle. They came out victorious with Typhlosion's immense strength heavily overpowering their opponent. At the end of the day, all three of them obtained the gym badge, the sun was setting and they walked on Route 17 to Dendemille Town.

"Yo, guys, what do you think she was talking about… me being this 'representative of creation'? I don't know what she means by that…" Daniel spoke up, turning to his two friend.

"I honestly don't know man…" George said, confused as much as Daniel.

"Well, I'm trying to think, how do you represent creation itself? Unless she's talking about a god or something along those lines… but creation? She's being very vague." Andres said putting his hand on his chin. "Whatever the case, I wouldn't let it bother you too much."

"Yeah, but damn, that battle was hella hard though."

"It wasn't"

"Shut up, you're over here with your damn typhlosion that's frickin 9 feet tall!"

"And..? that changes anything?"

"It's… taller? I don't know…"

"exactly."


	9. Chapter 9, Humiliation

The Holy GAD, after traversing through Route 17, Dendemille Town, and Route 15, find themselves in Laverre City. The perimeter of the city was surrounded by a moderately tall mahogany wall with several openings for entrances and exits. Inside, the city was very colorful opposed to the others; it's buildings being colored in a variety of warm colors. The majority of the buildings having a black or green roof. The buildings were generally around two stories tall with some being slightly taller than that here and there. In the center of the city, a large river separating the city into two halves and a multitude of bridges connecting the halves together. Like the rest, there were plenty of trees to be found in between buildings and entire parks being covered in trees.

The crew were at one of the numerous restaurants in the locale, each of them enjoying their own meals and taking a much needed break.

"Man, this city's looking really nice so far!" George complimented, looking around and taking a sip from his drink.

"Yeah, and it's pretty peaceful as well, prob not a bad place to live in either." Daniel complimented too, adjusting his position on his seat to get comfortable. Andres, finished his meal, drying his hands with a napkin and crossed his arms.

"Welp, you guys know the drill." Andres reminded the crew, the other two were aware and gave a thumbs up for Andres. The three of them got up off of their seats and pushed their chairs in. They walked around town, searching for what could possibly be the gym and after about half an hour of searching, they found it.

The gym building was a very massive four-story building situated in front of an even taller tree. The building was of a pale color with red-orange being the color of the supports and the frame of the building. Like the other buildings of the city, the roofs were green and there were a countless amount of windows. A bridge had to be crossed to get to the entrance of the gym. Over by one of the edges of the building, was a walkway platform that didn't stretch far from the structure. What was peculiar about this gym was unlike the others, there was no symbol or label indicating it was such a building in the first place. It's location was out in the middle of a field which bloomed with life and a minimal amount of buildings nearby.

"You sure this is the gym, Andres?" Daniel's questioned, taking in the sight of the behemoth of a building and tree.

"Yep, based on the directions we were given, this has to be it." Andres answered, closing his pokedex and shoving it in his pocket.

"Okay… but why does it look like that? Why isn't there some kind of label like the others?"

"That's probably because this building isn't just the gym. It's also has a fashion store apparently."

"A fashion store?" George repeated, confused.

"You seriously don't know what a fashion store is George?"

"Oh, no, it's not that… it's just... WHY? Why a fashion store of all things? Did they run out of places to put the gym or the store?"

"I don't know, probably gets plenty of attraction."

After their conversation, the group made their way inside to be greeted into a very large room with several girls carrying boxes around and some giving out orders. They paid no mind to it and headed straight for the counter on one side of the room.

"How can I help you?" The girl at the register asked, she had dark orange hair and blue eyes, along with a kimono.

"Umm… do you know the way to the gym?" Daniel asked, she pointed at the adjacent side where there was a large entrance to a staircase, "Okay, thanks!"

"Wait, can't battle right now!"

"Why?"

"She and the rest of the crew are preparing for an event later today."

"What event would that be?" Andres asked, suspicious.

"She's getting ready for a sneak peek at the latest designs she's made!"

"A sneak peak, huh? What… like a fashion show?"

"Exactly, i'm really sorry for the inconvenience."

"Nah, it's cool, thanks for telling us." Daniel thanked, turning to his friends who appeared slightly confused.

"What now?" George asked, scratching his head.

"Maybe let's check out the store, see if they got anything cool."

The group agreed on this decision, heading towards the store which was on the opposite side of the counter. The room was dark, the only lights were spotlights focused on the hanging designs. The floor consisted of a nice black marble tiles and the ceiling having a pretty blue and red flower pattern. The majority of customers were girls, some with boys who seemed to be only tagging along.

"Uh, guys, I think this is a store for girls…" George stated, looking around and becoming more convinced of his statement.

"Ya think?" Andres said, slightly mocking but in agreement with his friend. The group fell silent has they heard what appeared to be an argument somewhere.

"But I really wanna get it!" the sound of a child cried out, the group found the origin of the sound to be coming from the register inside the store.

"I'm sorry, kid, but we don't do discounts unless you have a coupon." one of women at the register informed. The kid looked to be on the verge of crying. Daniel walked towards the register, andres and george following unsure of what to do. "If you can't pay, then can you put this back where it belongs?" The woman requested, picking up the clothing and handing it to the kid.

"What's wrong?" Daniel spoke up, both the kid and the woman looking at him in surprise.

"Oh, it's nothing sir."

"She won't let me get this!" the kid cried out. Daniel looked at the kid assuming he was being spoiled.

The kid had black eyes and short, spiky black hair. He wore a red and white jacket, the white coloring the upper half of the jacket. He wore wore blue jeans and had blue and black shoes.

"That's because you won't pay up." the woman argued.

"Well, can you tell me WHY you're getting something… that's mean for girls?" Daniel inquired, putting his hands on his sides.

"I want to get this more my big sister, she really want this! She really wants this one!" The kid showed daniel the clothing. It was a cyan and pink furisode.

"Well, this stuff isn't free, you have to pay for it you know."

"I can pay for it… it's just…"

Daniel raised his eyebrows, believing the kid was trying to be selfish. "Is it going to cost all of your money?"

"Kind of…"

"Well… if you really want to get it for your sister, it shouldn't matter what the price is."

"I know… but…" the kid started to bite his lip, almost at the brink of crying. Daniel let out a sigh as he turned to the woman with a pitiful look.

"How much does that cost m'am?" Daniel asked in a slightly disappointed tone, pointing at the kimono, the kid immediately lifting his head in surprise.

"Uhh…. five...hundred, sir." she answered, confused by the question. Daniel slightly jumped at the price, andres raising his eyebrows.

" _Damn, that much for a kimono or whatever? These guys ain't cheap! Jeez…_ " Daniel thought, reaching into his pocket for his wallet and realizing he doesn't even have that much in his wallet. "How about this, bud, I pay half and you pay the other half, sound good?" Daniel suggested, turning to the kid who agreed. They payed for the furisode and put it in a bag, the kid repeatedly thanking daniel for his generous act.

"Thank you so much mister! ...Can I ask you something?" the kid asked, daniel looking down to see what the question is. "Do you know if I can battle the gym here today?"

"Nope, apparently, they're doing a sneak peek for the latest 'designs' later today so… yeah."

"Okay, thank you again for helping me get this!"

"Yeah, no prob."

"Mister… is it okay is it okay if I just stay with you and your friends until tomorrow?"

Daniel turns to Andres and George, they both shrug their shoulders.

"Uhh… I… guess…?"

The four of them left the building, returning to the pokemon center where they got to know the kid. The kid introduced himself as Lucas and he was a pokemon trainer who was ten years old. His pokemon of choice was his Dewott. Upon arriving at the pokemon center, Lucas challenged Daniel to a pokemon battle which was accepted. They went to the back of the pokemon center where they would battle. Daniel and Lucas both released their pokemon, Bisharp and Dewott landing on their respective sides of the battlefield.

"Let the battle, begin!" George started the battle, assuming the role of referee.

"Dewott, use Water Gun!" Lucas commanded, the Dewott shooting out a stream of water towards Bisharp. Bisharp ducked out of the way, and closed in on his opponent. " _What? Why isn't he telling his Bisharp what to do?_ " Lucas thought, surprised that Bisharp was acting on its own. Dewott, without being given a command, was struck with a punch from Bisharp, knocking him away and leaving a bruise where it was hit. Dewott got up, ready to keep fighting. " _That Bisharp's really strong, maybe revenge will work on him…_ Dewott, use Revenge!"

Dewott readied it's attack, remaining stationary.

"Bisharp." Daniel called out, Bisharp understanding what Daniel's thinking. Bisharp charged towards Dewott readying another attack. Dewott stood there, charging it's attack still. When bisharp was close, the dark steel pokemon uppercutted the smaller pokemon into the air. The poor water pokemon getting knocked into the air and falling on it's back. The Dewott bounced off the ground slightly and landed once more. Lucas's pokemon raised it's head slightly before losing consciousness and it's head falling back.

"Bisharp wins the battle!" George announced, Bisharp walking back next to Daniel's side as his trainer walked towards Lucas. Lucas recalled his pokemon inside it's capsule and placed it in his pocket. Daniel put out his hand for a handshake which was returned along with a question.

" , why didn't you tell your pokemon what to do?" Lucas asked, letting go from the handshake.

"Well, lemme put it like this. If I tell Bisharp what to do and he follows it obediently, he's no better than a slave or a servant. I don't see Bisharp like that, Bisharp's my friend and it's super weird telling him what to do. And besides, pokemon and humans aren't so different, they think, feel, and act like we do. That's why I don't want to do that to Bisharp, because he's my friend." Daniel explained to the trainer, putting his hands on his sides again. Lucas's eyes widened at this revelation.

"So you and Bisharp and good friends?"

"Yep, the best." Daniel and Bisharp turning to each other and sharing a fist-bump, "And battle-wise, it's useful nonetheless. That way, your opponent doesn't know what move is coming next and it allows your pokemon to fight differently; as you saw." Lucas's eyes glistened, it's as if he was being told the most useful thing in his life.

"Wow! That's so cool! I didn't know that!"

"And now you know."

Everyone returned inside the pokemon center where they would begin to converse about each others goals.

"So, Lucas, what gets you up every morning, why are you a pokemon trainer?" Daniel inquired, relaxing in his seat on the couch, Andres and George having their own conversation

"I want to become the pokemon champion." He answered, twiddling his thumbs, then looking up at Daniel again, "What about you?"

"For me… I guess… I'm trying to prove myself, prove my worth…"

"What do you mean?"

"There's someone I never could beat… and mostly everyone around me doesn't think I ever could. I want to prove them wrong I guess."

"Is it your friends?"

"No. I can't beat my brother, no matter how hard I've tried. So, with the help of George and Andres here, I'm gonna get stronger with my Bisharp so we can hopefully beat my brother."

After conversing for several hours, they each got bored with nothing to do. Everyone just wanted to battle the gym and with no opportunity to battle the gym leader, they were left with mostly nothing to do. George eventually came up with something for the group to do.

"Hey guys, I have an idea. Let's go to the fashion showing at the gym." George proposed.

"Why?" Andres shot, not interested to any degree.

"Well, we're all sitting here bored as hell so going to it will give us something to do."

"I guess, i mean… I'm bored as hell so…" Daniel said, agreeing with George. Everyone except Andres agreed to it but he tagged along anyways cuz they were going.

The sun was setting outside and plenty of people were heading to the building as well. Upon arriving, the group realized the event was taking place at the smal walking platform so they headed there, biggest indicator being a massive crowd of mostly girls there. The platform was different than before, there were two massive screens on both sides of the platform facing the crowd but angled towards the platform. There was a line of special chandeliers hanging between the screen. There was a several more lights hanging from under the screen and several lights lined up on the walkway. The group stood there, looking around and wondering when the main event would start.

The screens turned on, the transition from a black screen to a bright colorful screen having the black move apart like a curtain. Everyone in the crowd cheered in excitement as two girls emerged from the entrance of the platform and entered the light. One of them was the orange haired girl from earlier along with a black haired girl.

"Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting!" The black haired girl apologized to the audience.

"Designer Valerie's Furisode Collection Sneak Peak will now begin!" the orange haired girl announced.

" _So that's what those things were called… I thought they were kimonos…_ " Daniel thought to himself, several girls along with pokemon came in and out of the entrance, walking back and forth the walkway. Finally, the last person to emerge from the entrance was Valerie herself as it was announced by one of the girl before she came out.

Valerie has long black hair that reaches her knees, her eyes are wide and in the color of purplish-gray. She also wears purple hair clips slightly resembling the ears of an Audino and string-like tendrils, as well as a purple choker. Her outfit resembles a stylized kimono spliced with a gothic-lolita style. The sleeves bear the resemblance to butterfly wings with pink, mist-like patterns followed by a yellowish-cream color and tipped with black. She wears a pale yellow corset intertwined with purple strings and lined with butterfly patterns with strings. She also wears a short, puffy skirt with the color of pale purple, pink, and black with frilly ends. Finally, her outfit is completed with black socks with renaissance flairs on the top, and black high heels with bright pink soles and ribbons.

" _So that's the gym leader…_ " The group thought, looking at Valerie.

"Everyone, thank yuh for attending the Sneak Peek today. Ah used Pokemon as motifs for mah designs." Valerie stated to the crowd, Daniel and the rest of the group staring in confusion.

" _W-why is she talking like that…?_ " George questioned, thinking to himself.

"That's because ah believe that true beauty is found within nature itself."

" _So she focuses on beauty, okay._ " Andres concluded to himself.

"Finally, the clothes ah design shine most beautifully during battle!"

Everyone in the crowd became more excited chatting amongst themselves that the best part is coming up. Some of the girls surrounded Valerie and looked within the crowd for something or someone. Daniel stood out within the crowd because of his tall spiky hair which attracted the attention of one of the girls. The girl that noticed walked next to valerie and whispered in her ear.

"Yuh over there." Valerie called out, pointing to Daniel in the crowd. Daniel pointed at himself, to make sure she was referring to him. Valerie nodded, and motioned for Daniel to come up on the platform. "Please come here."

Daniel was confused, very confused, and turned to Andres who shrugged his shoulders and George who looked confused.

"You're called up, so might as well." Andres said, crossing his arm. A bead of sweat formed on Daniel's head as he stepped on stage, on the opposite end of Valerie.

"Why am I up here?" Daniel questioned Valerie.

"Let us battle in this place." Valeria answered, "naturally, if you defeat me, i shall hand yuh a gym badge."

"So… is this a gym battle?"

"It can be put like that."

"Alright then… _heh, if I win, i'm gonna feel bad for the guys cuz then they'd have to wait till tomorrow to battle. Hee hee hee._ " Daniel chuckled to himself. The black haired girl asked for Daniel's name and he shared it.

"The battle between Valerie, gym leader of the laverre gym, and challenger Daniel will now begin! You may use one pokemon each. As soon as either is unable to battle, the battle is over."

Daniel took out Bisharp's pokeball and released Bisharp from it.

"Come forth, Spritzee!" Valerie spun around and threw a pokeball, releasing her pokemon. Daniel almost bursted out laughing but managed to contain it to a snort.

"Alright, let's do this, bud." Daniel said, focusing on the battle now. Bisharp started the battle by running towards the opposing pokemon.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Valerie's pokemon burst into a massive ball of light which caught Bisharp, Everything was still as the light shined brightly. As the light began to fade, Bisharp was knocked away, landing on its back in front of Daniel. Bisharp was covered in light bruises, the dark steel pokemon getting up as quickly as possible.

"Okay, this thing looks like it's going to be a pain. It's small so it might be fast."

"I figured as much." Bisharp also concluded, getting in a fighting stance, awaiting his opponents next move.

"Moon Blast!" Valerie called, the Spritzee charged it attack, a pink sphere forming in front of it and growing in size. Once at full size, Valerie's pokemon fired the attack, Daniel and Bisharp getting out of the way. Bisharp jumped into the air to avoid the attack. "Fairy Wind!" The small pokemon created a small twister which hit Bisharp, knocking him even higher into the air.

" _Shit! This is bad! This thing's giving Bisharp a run for his money!_ " Daniel cursed in his mind, trying to figure out how to beat his opponent. Bisharp landed on the floor, bouncing off slightly and more bruised than before. Danie's eyes widened in concern for his friend and he began to sweat out of slight anxiety.

"Finish this with Moon Blast!" The Spritzee charged up the attack one more time and firing it.

"BISHARP DODG-!" Daniel couldn't finish the command because by the time Bisharp got up, he was struck with the attack. The attack exploded on impact and the platform was covered in smoke. Once the smoke faded, Bisharp was unconscious, laying down on the platform. Daniel was shocked, he stared at his unconscious friend.

"Bisharp is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is gym leader Valerie!" The crowd started to cheer for Valerie

"How sad, the beauty of mah design couldn't be shown in this battle." Valerie whined, causing the crowd to start booing at Daniel. Daniel knelt down next to Bisharp as he pulled out his pokeball, his bangs casting a shadow over his eyes. The boos continued and daniel pressed the pokeball against bisharp, returning bisharp to his ball. Daniel got up, gritting his teeth as he listened to the crowd. Daniel closed his eyes and opened them

 _Flashback_

 _Daniel was in a open area in a town, Daniel was battling his brother and there was a crowd watching the battle._

 _Pawniard was blown away, sliding on the floor in front of Daniel._

" _Pawniard!" Daniel cried out, kneeling down next to his partner and returning him to his pokeball._

" _Return!" Samuel told his pokemon, pressing the button on his pokeball to recall his pokemon. Samuel began to walk towards his little brother who was around nine years old at the time, him being around the age of thirteen. The crowd began to laugh at Daniel, mocking him. Samuel knelt down and put his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Don't worry, bro, you're getting better! I'm sure you'll beat me some day!"_

" _No he won't!" One person in the crowd yelled._

 __" _He sucks!" another person yelled._

" _He'll never beat you like this!"_

" _he shouldn't even bother being a pokemon trainer!"_

 _Daniel eyes watered as he began to cry from the insults, Samuel getting angry with everyone and quickly turning to them._

" _You guys shut up! He's my little brother! I don't see any of you guys trying!" Samuel yelled, Daniel quickly got up and ran away, covering his eyes. "Daniel! Come back!"_

 _Daniel ran through the crowd, past a certain blonde friend of his who was only a year and a half older than him._

" _Daniel?" Serena called out, reaching for him. Daniel ran past, not looking back and out of sight. Serena frowned, feeling sympathetic towards her friend. Daniel ran into the nearby forest and sat down against a tree. He curled up into a ball and continued to cry with Pawniard's pokeball still in one hand._

" _Hey, are you okay?" a voice asked, Daniel shook his head no, looking up to find Serena in front of him which surprised him. Serena felt bad and sat down next to her friend who curled up into a ball again. "Did they make fun of you again?" Daniel nodded, sniffling and making a "mhm" sound. "Just ignore those meanies! I think you're good even though you're not a trainer yet!" Serena got up and stood in front of Daniel and put out her hand. "Come on, I'll get you some ice cream to help cheer you up."_

 _Daniel smiled, blushing slightly, reaching out for Serena's hand. Everything faded to white._

 _Flashback end_

Daniel shoved the pokeball into his pocket, his eyes slightly watering. Daniel whipping around and stomping off the stage.

"Jeez, he's a sore loser." Andres mocked, George quickly turning to Andres in irritation.

"He is?" Lucas asked, looking up at George and Andres.

"Dude, come on, how do you think he feels?" George argued.

"Humiliated." Andres answered bluntly.

"Yeah, remember what Daniel told us before? This is probably reminding him of before!"

"Yeah, and remember what I told him before?"

"What happened?" Lucas asked again, george looking at Lucas.

"I don't think Daniel told you but this happens to him a lot. Apparently, every time he loses to his big brother, everyone around him laughs and mock him."

Lucas's mouth was open agape, surprised at this. Lucas looked at Daniel who moved past the crowd and continued to walk away, not going to the group.

"He's walking away! We should catch up with him!" lucas informed, turning in daniel's direction.

"Yeah!" George agreed, Andres rolled his eyes and followed the other two who chased after Daniel.


	10. Chapter 10, Ascension

The laughter replayed in his head, as if on an endless loop. He slumped against one of the trees within the forest, crossing his arms and gritting his teeth. His head hung low, as if his confidence was thrown out of the window. Daniel took out Bisharp's pokeball, staring at it, his vision becoming blurry as he slightly teared up.

"Why…" he muttered under his breath, shutting his eyes as to not remind of himself of his humiliation.

"There he is!" a familiar voice sounded in the distance, followed by constant footsteps in his direction. After several seconds, Daniel's friends had reached him, walking around the tree to see their friend.

"WOW, he's actually crying." Andres mocked, disappointed with his friend.

"Are you okay Mister Daniel?" Lucas asked, worried.

"Dude, it's alright, it's just a loss, you can win next time!" George reassured, not completely understanding Daniel's reasoning for his breakdown.

"It's not the loss dammit!" Daniel cried opening his eyes to look at his friends.

"Then what is? People laughing at you? How lame…" Andres scoffed, getting a glare from Daniel who didn't appreciate the comment.

"Dude!" George said to andres, not liking how Andres is handling the situation.

"I said it before, I'll say it once more: Who gives a shit about what other people think? Only take the approval of those you care about. But I guess forgot about that, didn't you?"

Daniel looked away from Andres, knowing that he was right. He didn't forget, but he couldn't just move on like that.

"Yeah, sure, Andres is right and all, but that won't cut it for you, right?" George said to Daniel, who nodded making a "mhm" sound. Andres rolled his eyes, Lucas looking at Andres as he looked away.

"Yeah… winning or losing, I don't care… I just want respect dammit. That's all I've ever wanted, to be like him… My brother…" Daniel explained, tears slowly streaming down his face. Daniel tried his best to hide it.

"You aren't going to get respe-" Andres was cut off by George putting his hand out towards andres to silence him.

"Ignore him, look, Daniel. I'm not going to lie and say I completely understand how you feel. But I do know why you're feeling like this. You look up to your big bro and you want to be just like him, right?" George inquired, Daniel nodding once more.

"Kinda…" Daniel mumbled. George smiled, putting his hands on his sides.

"That's really cool, but it seems like you've lost sight of what you're fighting for."

"What do you mean…?"

"Remember why you left your house, remember why Bisharp's your partner, remember why you left to go on this journey with us in the first place."

Daniel looked up at George, some light in his eyes when George said this.

"That's right, to get stronger. It's okay to lose, but that's what makes us stronger in the end. You're fighting to get stronger and beat your brother."

Lucas, who was speechless and could not find a place in the conversation simply watched, admiring Daniel's relationship with his comrades.

"That's right… I left because of the humiliation, the disrespect… That's why I'm here today… with you guys! So we can get stronger together and achieve our goals!"

George had a big smile, happy that he could cheer his friend up.

"Thank you… guys… from this day forth… I promise I won't lose anymore, I won't hold you guys back! We're going to enter the Pokemon League, TOGETHER! As the Holy GAD!"

"Now that's what I'm talking about! Rock on!" George put his fist out for a fist-bump which was quickly returned.

"We're going to win the Pokemon League, and make it to the top!" They both said, switching into a handshake.

Lucas let out a sigh of relief, knowing the problem's finally be settled. Daniel and George looked to Andres who smirked and closed his eyes.

"Well, it's good to know you're back in high spirits. I am joining the pokemon league in search of worthy opponents, because most likely, we're going to have to throw down during it and I need a good challenge."

"Heh, you're on, Andres." Daniel challenged, letting go from his handshake and wiping the tears.

"That's the spirit! Now you go out there and win!"

"Yeah!"

And so, the group returned to the pokemon center where they slept and woke the next morning. Several hours after waking up, they immediately set off towards the Gym for a rematch. Upon entering the building and getting inside the lobby room. Several of the girls from before were lined up, blocking the entrance to the gym.

"We welcome yuh kindly." All of them said, synchronized which freaked out the group.

" _Great, now they're all talking weird…_ " Daniel thought to himself, preparing to speak, he said to the group, "I'm here for a rematch."

The girls snickered before stepping out of the way, making room for the group to enter the room. The crew entered the passageway of stairs and entered a very large room.

It was a wooden walkway toward the arena with red railing also made of wood. The arena was in the center of the room with a smooth rock frame around the arena. The other two sides adjacent to that path led to the stands and on the opposite end was leader's entrance. The arena was over a large pond larger than the arena, and surrounding the pod (and occupying the rest of the room) was trees and rocks. The walls had a grid pattern with a white background and red lines. Finally, four massive lights hung from the ceiling.

"Pretty" is what the group thought of the room. They continued to walk forward, looking all around and taking in the sight, the smell. Daniel stepped into the arena, no one else around besides the black haired girl being referee. George, Lucas, and Andres went to the side and stood on the stands.

"I wonder if has a plan this time." Lucas said, looking at Daniel who released Bisharp from the pokeball.

"Well, we'll just have to see" Andres spoke, crossing his arms out of habit.

The lights in the gym turned off, everything going dark and the walls emitting a dim light. The walls appeared to change into a dark blue screen with pink petals falling down in a loop. Everyone looked at the walls, observing the falling petals. A sound was heard opposite of Daniel's side as Valerie rose upwards onto the stage. Valerie walked towards her end of the arena and bowing.

"I see yuh have come for another battle."

"Yeah, today's not going to turn out like yesterday."

"Ah see, this will be interesting then. Shall we begin?"

"The Laverre Gym match between Gym Leader Valerie and challenger Daniel will now begin!" the black haired girl announced repeating the usual rules, Bisharp taking a fighting stance.

"Ah will begin" Valerie said, "Come forth, Sylveon!" Valerie spun around and threw a pokeball which released her Sylveon. Bisharp stayed still keeping a close eye on his opponent.

"Bisharp isn't starting off with a charge this time." George pointed out, catching the attention of the other two.

"So he's being cautious now… good idea." Andres complimented, curious to see how Daniel will handle Valerie this time.

"Use Disarming voice!" Valerie commanded, her Sylveon shouting and multiple hearts that enlarged headed straight toward Bisharp. Bisharp ducked out of the way, the trail of hearts slowly moving to follow him. Bisharp ran towards Sylveon, remembering the fake blades he was given that day.

" _How can I use these…_ " Bisharp thought to himself, a lightbulb going off in his mind. Bisharp jumped in the air and took off one of the blades and throws it at Sylveon. Sylveon stops its attack to dodge, the blade hitting the ground and getting stuck. Sylveon looked at the blade confused. Sylveon quickly looked back at bisharp, realizing it took its eyes off of its opponent. Bisharp was very close, preparing a downward smash on the Sylveon. Valerie's pokemon jumps out of the way, bisharp changing positions so he can land on his feet.

Bisharp landed on the floor, looking to his left to find several white colored ropes tie around him and restrain him.

" _What the hell is this?!_ " Bisharp cursed in his mind, trying to break free but to no avail. Bisharp was flung around, Sylveon constantly spinning him around. Bisharp felt himself getting dizzy but calmed himself and tried his best not to.

"Fairy Wind!" Sylveon lifted Bisharp into the air as a massive vortex of fairy wind blasted against Bisharp, damaging him.

Daniel started getting a little nervous, and it felt like a slight breeze just blew against him even though there was nothing. Sylveon then slammed Bisharp into the ground, letting go of its grasp on him. Bisharp got up slowly, bruised all over. Daniel twitched slightly out of nowhere, Daniel looking at himself and back at Bisharp.

"You good buddy?!" Daniel called out to Bisharp who gave a thumbs up of approval. Sylveon shot the ropes from its body towards Bisharp once more. Bisharp stayed still, making no attempt to dodge this. When the ropes came close, Bisharp grabbed ahold of all of them before they could wrap themselves around Bisharp. Everyone besides Daniel and Bisharp was surprised by this. Bisharp yanked back on the rope, Sylveon sudden being pulled towards Bisharp as it was lifted off the ground.

"Sylveon, use Giga Impact!" Sylveon was covered in bright, glowing aura as it came close to Bisharp. Daniel and Bisharp smirked simultaneously, Bisharp side-stepping and letting go of the ropes. Bisharp put his fists together and spun around. Sylveon realized the predicament it was in and couldn't do anything about it, just a couple feet away from Bisharp.

" _Now._ " Daniel thought, Bisharp spinning again and slamming his fists against Sylveon's side. Sylveon, upon being hit, was launched sideways and landed on the floor, rolling.

"That was clever." Andres complimented, smiling. Lucas observed the fight, amazed at Bisharp's capabilities. Daniel rubbed his arms after this for no apparent reason he could think of. Sylveon was unconscious and unable to battle.

"Sylveon is unable to battle! Bisharp wins!" the referee announced to everyone. Valerie's returns Sylveon to its ball and throws out Spritzee.

" _Not this thing…!_ " Bisharp and Daniel thought at the same exact time.

"The real challenge begins." Andres said, pulling up Typhlosion's pokeball and looked at it.

"how are they going to pull this off?" George stated, feeling a bit of concern.

"Spritzee, Trick room!" Blue checkerboard walls emerged from the ground and surrounded the arena, and sealing the top with a ceiling.

"What the…" Daniel commented, looking at Bisharp who was confused and repeatedly looked around. Valerie smiled, telling Spritzee to use Moonblast. The blast moved towards Bisharp quickly, the Dark Steel pokemon diving out of the way of the blast which hit the ground.

"Gyro Ball!" Spritzee continuously spun forward and charged towards Bisharp who was getting up. Bisharp looked at the Spritzee and got hit by the attack, knocking Bisharp against the wall. Daniel rubbed his stomach, it felt like something just pressed against it. Bisharp struggled to get up, rubbing it's stomach as well.

" _I might have to pull that same trick I did to Sylveon but question is… how?_ " Bisharp thought to himself, getting up and waiting for his opponent's next move.

"Fairy Wind!" Spritzee created a vortex of Fairy wind which headed straight for Bisharp.

" _SHIT!_ " Bisharp cursed, getting caught up in the attack and being flung in the air while taking damage.

"Follow it up with Dazzling Gleam!" Spritzee moved close to Bisharp as he fell, consuming him in the beam of light and shooting him away towards the ground. Bisharp was more bruised than ever, and Daniel's body slightly ached out of nowhere.

Bisharp's body was shaking as he tried to get up again.

"That's some impressive determination Bisharp has, but ah think ah shall end this. Moon Blast!" Valerie ordered, Spritzee charging up a blast and firing it at the weak Bisharp. Lucas closed his eyes, not wanting to see Bisharp lose. Andres furrowed his brows and George started to freak out.

" _No… this can't be the way it ends... We made a promise to Samuel that we would battle him! We made a promise to the Holy GAD! That we wouldn't lose anymore!_ " Daniel and Bisharp thought at the exact same time. Daniel and Bisharp both closed their eyes, the blast so close now. " _but if i lose… If I lose…!_ " The blast hit bisharp and exploded,covering that area in smoke.

" _All of this would have been for nothing…_ "

"Nooo!" George cried, slamming his hands against the railings of the stands. Andres merely stared at the smoke, everyone's attention on it. Daniel's eyes shot open, a new light in his eyes.

" _That's why… We won't lose!_ "

Two red glowing dots appeared within the smoke, and the smoke turned slightly purple. The other blade falling off and landing on the floor.

"What the…!" George said, focusing as the smoke blew away to reveal a wavy ball of aura, purple at the core but transitions to a dark red for the outer layer. Two bright red glowing dots within the ball. Andres threw up his eyebrows, Lucas openings his eyes and was shocked. The Trick room faded and everything turned back to normal.

" _What is this?!_ " Valerie questioned, not sure what to do. "Moon Blast once more!"

Spritzee fires the moon blast at the sphere, the blast getting smacked away effortlessly when it came close. Everyone gasps that the powerful attack was deflected.

"One more time!" Valerie began to panic, Spritzee firing one more blast. The attack was cut in half by the the aura. Spritzee blinked only to find the ball of aura directly in front of it in the air and could barely make out a red figure within the orb. In a flash, Spritzee was struck down towards the ground, creating a small crater where the pokemon lied, unconcious.

"S-spritzee is unable to battle! Bisharp wins!" The referee announced the victor, everyone stared at what everyone thought was still Bisharp. The ball of aura descended to the ground, dissipating to reveal Bisharp back to normal, both Daniel and Bisharp falling to their knees. Daniel profusely sweating, breathing heavily as well as Bisharp.

" _What was that power…?_ " Andres thought to himself, surprised by Bisharp's sudden display of power. Andres gasped as he remember what Olympia showed them. " _Is that Representative of Creation thing finally starting to appear? What is it?_ " Andres and the other two quickly make their way down to rejoin the victor.

"Therefore, the winner is challenger Daniel!"

Daniel and Bisharp look each other in the eyes, bisharp seeings himself in Daniel's eyes and Daniel seeing himself in Bisharp's eyes.

" _What… was that…?_ " They both thought. Valerie returns Spritzee to it's pokeball and looked at the two of them.

"That was a truly excellent battle. Ah don't know what that was, but something tells me that was out of pure determination and your bond with each other. Ah praise yuh!"

Daniel, slowly got up and walked over to his pokemon who did the same. They stood in front of each other, exchanging their signature fist-bump. The referee brought the case with the gym badge which Valerie awarded to Daniel. Everyone leaving the building, Daniel and the others picking up the blades and leaving. Daniel was being flooded with questions on their way out.

"Yo, man, what was that?!" George asked.

"I don't know, I swear!" Daniel answered honestly.

" ! You and Bisharp were really cool during that battle!" Lucas praised, Daniel thanking him.

"I have an idea for what that could be." Andres spoke up, everyone immediately turning to Andres to hear him out, "You guys remember what Olympia showed us? What if these are the early signs of it?" The Holy GAD except for Lucas was confused by Andres's question.

"Maybe… but at that moment, when Bisharp was like that, I felt a major connection… but I can't quite explain what it was like… All I know that it was something I've never experienced in my life before…" Daniel explained, looking at his hand, forming a fist, "Whatever it is, I want to help Bisharp obtain that level of strength again, and help the two of us continue to grow and get stronger."

Later during the day, Andres and George commenced with their battles which they won with some difficulty. And now, it was Lucas's turn, the group had made their way back to the gym. They were right outside the building now.

"Well, I guess it's time to go, ." Lucas said, turning to the group who was confused.

"What do you mean? you're getting ready to battle Valerie, aren't you?" Daniel stated.

"Yeah, but you're trying your hardest to become stronger, and I have so much to learn! I don't want to hold you guys back."

"Hey, I mean, you could join our group, the Holy GAD." Daniel suggested, George and Andres giving him a look.

"Thank you for the offer, , but I'll be okay. I want to travel on my own and grow stronger with Dewott."

"You sure?"

"Yes, and also one more thing, ."

"Yeah?"

Lucas bowed down towards Daniel, shutting his eyes which confused the Holy GAD.

"Will you please be my teacher? You're so cool and I learned so much from you! I want you to teach me more.

"W-what?!" George questioned.

"Teacher?!" Andres repeated, dumbfounded. Daniel stood there, speechless that he was asked such a question.

"I'm not good enough to be a teacher though…" Daniel somewhat mumbled.

"That isn't true! You've taught me so much and you're continuing to improve, please be my teacher!"

Andres and George look at Daniel who stroked his chin and closed his eyes.

"Alright… I'll be your teacher."

"Thank you! I want to impress you the next time we meet and hopefully, I can become a worthy rival someday!"

"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it." Daniel put his fist out for a fist-bump which Lucas returned.

And so, the Holy GAD set off to Lumiose City via Route 14. Daniel and Bisharp attaining a new level of power which they are unaware of. The sun slowly set and Andres felt the urge to say something.

"Daniel, I want to say something." Andres spoke up, Daniel turning to Andres, "I want to say sorry for how I've been whenever you get upset."

"Oh… it's alright Andres, no need to be sorry." Daniel forgave.

"Look, I'm not looking down on you, please don't think that. I really do try to help but I come off as rude. I don't mean to be like that but to me, it's best to be blunt and truthful and get straight to the point. George was right this time, I was wrong and I apologize."

"Thanks… Andres."

"No, thank you, now I'm excited for the Pokemon League, because it looks like I have a rival with a lot of potential." Andres said, smirking and looking at Daniel who smiled back.

Daniel got a notification and pulled up his pokedex to find he's received a message from Serena.

"Hey, sorry I couldn't talk for the last couple days, I've been busy! I just wanted to know how you're doing and where you're at."

-Serena

Daniel typed back.

"It's all good, I've been busy myself. I'm doing good, me and the guys are in Route 14, heading to Lumiose City."

-Daniel

"Oh! Are you coming this way?"

-Serena

"Which way would that be?"

-Daniel

"Are you heading to Courmaline City after Lumiose?"

-Serena

"Yeah, that's the plan, why?"

-Daniel

"What a coincidence! Me, Ash, and the others are heading to Courmaline City soon! Maybe we should meet up there? We're going because I'm going to participate in my very first pokemon performance!"

-Serena

"What's that?"

-Daniel

"It's better if I show you, so what about it?"

-Serena

"Sounds good, cya there."

"Yo, fellas, you guys cool if we meet up with you know who in Courmaline City when we get there?" Daniel asked friends.

"No." Andres said bluntly, George and Daniel both giving him a look. Andres turned to them and bursted out laughing, "I'm just joking, sure man, knock yourself out."

"Sweet!"

And like that, the group set off on their journey, now with a new goal of reuniting with Serena within Courmaline City. What will happen to the group next? Find out next chapter.


	11. Chapter 11, Turning Point

After seperating from the now student of Daniel, the crew sets off to reunite with Serena in Courmaline City. Daniel was very excited to say the least, not only to see his best friend/crush, but to figure out the new power Bisharp displayed in their previous gym battle. To get to Courmaline City, they must pass through the following: Route 14, Lumiose City, then Route 13. And so, they followed that set route. The Holy GAD battled the Lumiose City gym leader which was revealed to be a robot created by the gym leader himself. Daniel, George, and Andres defeated the gym with ease, the power from before making no appearance this time as they continued on. After defeating the Lumiose City Gym and passing through Route 13, they find themselves in the city of Courmaline City. Unbeknownst to them, this would turn out to be a turning point in their journey.

Courmaline City, was something, very different than the other cities and one that is worthy of its title as "city". The City was situated along a massive coastline which lead out to the vast ocean. There was a natural wall formation of rock surrounding the entire city. The city was in more of a "U" shape, curving and surrounding part of the massive body of water. There were plenty of docks, trees, buildings for days. Through the city was a long railway system which took passengers from one side of the city to the next. The railway was elevated above most buildings by massive pillars which lifted it up. But the railway also took passengers out of the city and to another train station. There were paths engraved in the rocky wall and some natural ones outside the wall which led to inside and outside the city so travellers who go on foot or another type of transportation can enter.

Daniel was glued to his pokedex, constantly texting his crush to figure out where she was. Andres made sure they were going the right way and George was in charge of making sure Daniel doesn't bump into anything because he refused to take his eyes off the pokedex. This time around, they decided to give their pokemon some fresh air and relaxation. Lucario, Typhlosion, and Bisharp were released from their pokeballs and they would engage in normal, casual conversations. Mostly Bisharp and Lucario chatting with each other and Typhlosion remaining silent most of the time and giving a remark here and there depending on what was said.

"You know, you should get yourself a mobile device, dude; Like a phone for example." Andres spoke up, turning to Daniel who lifted his head in confusion.

"Why?" The trainer asked, continuing to text.

"Well, you're misusing the Pokedex, you're using it like a phone when you should be… I don't know… recording and keeping track of pokemon you find?"

"Andres is right, you haven't used that pokedex for anything else OTHER than texting your love interest." George added, Him and Daniel looking at each other.

"I've never really been a phone guy… and besides, I need some way to keep in touch with her besides pokemon centers." Daniel explained, trying to defend himself.

George and Andres remained silent, not sure what to think of what this man just spat out besides nonsense.

"Answer me this, how the hell did you keep in touch with your family?" Andres asked, turning back forwards, noticing they were almost there.

Daniel remained silent, looking down at the ground and clearing his throat.

"I… didn't… honestly… I barely used Pokemon Centers…"

"How long have you been away from your house?" George questioned, taking in the fact that the pokemon stopped talking to listen to this conversation.

"Five years…" Daniel mumbled, his head low.

"Wow, do you even care about your family?" Andres mocked, Daniel's head immediately shooting up in rage..

"I do care about my family!"

"Daniel, I understand WHY you left the house. It's to defeat your older brother Samuel. But what's the point in it if you no longer share a bond with your family?"

" _Share a bond…_ " Daniel repeated in his mind, a wave of guilty washing up in his mind. Daniel looked at his hand and opened it, " _You know… in hindsight… Serena was right… I haven't changed. Sure, I might've changed as a person… But I'm still haunted by my past and the mistakes from back then… But… What do I do about it?_ "

Andres, without having to turn around, could tell he got Daniel to think about his decision, and that was good enough for him. Bisharp on the other hand, felt hurt. As for why though, he had no clue but Andres's words to Daniel stung him for some reason.

Andres returned Typhlosion to his pokeball because he was too large of a pokemon to casually walk around. And it would attract too much attention. The Holy GAD walked through the city, enjoying the beautiful view and Daniel returned to his pokedex, but not glued this time. The buildings were covered with decorations with the citizens standing outside and helping set up the decorations. The Holy GAD eventually made it to a sidewalk that was next to the water, elevated several meters above it. Andres and George looked out into the vast body of water, boats of varying sizes moving about and many different rock formations could be seen in the ocean far away from the city.

"Hey, Where are you at?"

-Daniel

Daniel received no answer for a whole minute, the teenager looking around and decided to join his friends as they gazed at the view. Daniel felt himself get poked from behind which caused the trainer to jump in shock. This caught the attention of George and Andres, all three of them immediately turning around. It was Serena, she giggled and waved at all three of them.

"Hi!" Serena greeted, smiling which made Daniel blush and lighten up.

"Serena!" Daniel called to her, Serena putting her hand up for a high five and Daniel bringing his fist for a fist-bump. They noticed they were doing the opposite things so the two of them immediately switched. Andres cringed at how bad they were messing up for a handshake. Daniel brought his hand down and finally shared a fist-bump with Serena.

"So, how are you guys doing?"

"Alright." Andres answered.

"Pretty good." George answered as well.

"I'm doing great! What about you?" Daniel said to her.

"Great! I'm really glad we get to meet up at least before the Pokemon League!" Serena agreed with Daniel's comment.

Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont followed behind, catching up to her with Clemont being out-of-shape.

"Oh, hey! There you are, Daniel. Serena told us we were gonna meet up with you and your friends." Ash commented, waving at Andres and George as well.

And so, after the two groups conversed catching up to speed on what's going on. They all agreed to head to the gym leader and battle him. Ash and his group had apparently already met the gym leader and knew where the gym was but didn't battle because of a very cold incident. All in agreement, they venture through the city to discover the path to the gym was right outside the city. The gym was located inside of a gargantuan tree planted on top the largest hill among a series of smaller hills. There was a dirt path leading towards the gym and nearby the path, in small batches, were several trees.

The journey through the series of hill was quite the exhausting walk, with all its constant ups and downs. The tree itself, as previously stated was gargantuan but to be more precise, the tree was as wide as a building, perhaps a mansion. The tree was taller than any of the buildings in the city. There was a staircase that ascended upwards into the upper part of the tree shrouded in leaves. After the group ascended the long stretch of stairs, they were at the center of the tree up top, where there was an arena engraved in the ground and branches of the tree sticking out in every direction from the base. A small greenhouse at a corner of the area and a small little hut built inside one of the massive branches. Plenty of platforms were established upon the branches, facing the arena as they acted as spectator stands. They were approached by the gym leader, Ramos, shortly after arriving.

Ramos is an old, pale man, with grey beard. He wears a green cap, an orange scarf, a green button shirt, a pair of gardener gloves, some grey pants and green boots. He also has some gardener scissors, keeping them close by. Finally, he had his eyes closed.

Ash and crew were already acquainted with Ramos so they chatted a bit. Ash insisted on battling, but Ramos, being the patient man he is, chose to have tea with everyone and do some garden work specifically with Ash to teach him a lesson on priorities. After that, Daniel requested to battle the gym leader first but Ash refused. Serena, opting to take her friends side, managed to convince Ash to let Daniel battle.

Everyone except Daniel moved to the stands to observe the battle with Daniel and Ramos standing on opposite sides of the battle arena. Bisharp was sent out onto the battlefield and Ramos sending out Jumpluff. The referee that was there declared the battle's beginning, Bisharp getting into a fighting stance, staring down his opponent.

"You good buddy? Looking a bit more serious than usual today." Daniel pointed out, Bisharp brushing it off and claiming it was nothing.

"Let's see if it's going to happen this time…" Andres muttered, catching Serena and Ash's attention.

"What do you mean?" Serena questioned, not sure what Andres's referring to.

"Hell, I can't even explain it even if I wanted to." Andres answers, resorting to his habit of crossing his arms and observing the battle.

"Hey! No bad language around Bonnie!" Clemont argued, Andres turning to Clemont and giving him a 'I don't give a fuck' look.

"Well, the only time it happened, Bisharp went all BWOOSH and was all purple and stuff, then he kicked some butt." George explained, Ash getting all excited and wondering what it could be.

"Did Bisharp evolve or something?!" Ash assumed, everyone besides George and Andres gasped.

"Evolved? Like Mega Evolution?" Clemont asked, Andres throwing his eyebrows up at this.

"Does that mean Daniel has a mega stone?" Bonnie suggested, getting a very strange look from George and Andres.

"No… last time I checked… he didn't have a 'Mega Stone'." Andres informed, furrowing his brows as he has never heard of "Mega Evolution" before. The same went for George.

"Yo, what's Mega Evolution?" George raised the question, Clemont and Ash explaining it as beyond evolution requiring a key stone and a mega stone and it required a strong bond between trainer and pokemon.

"Jumpluff is unable to battle! Bisharp wins!" The referee announced. Everyone looked to the arena to see Jumpluff partly in the ground, Bisharp getting back to position, ready to take on the next opponent.

"Wow! Bisharp has gotten stronger!" Serena complimented, looking at her friend and saw within him, his past self.

 _Flashback_

 _Daniel had the biggest smile on his face as he lifted a small Pawniard into the air. The Pawniard and its new trainer were very happy. Daniel was but a small child at the time, not at the age to be a trainer so getting a pokemon so young was a big deal to Daniel._

" _Are you absolutely sure you want that Pokemon?" Samuel asked, grinning at his little brother._

" _Yeah, I like this one!" Daniel stated, lifting Pawniard in the air with a bit of difficulty._

" _He looks really cute!" Serena complimented, petting the Pawniard who was very happy with all the love and care._

" _Hey, Samuel, I want to challenge you to a pokemon battle right now!" Daniel challenged, putting Pawniard down who turned around to look at Samuel._

" _RIght now? You just got your pokemon!" Samuel warned, putting his hands on his side and chuckling slightly._

" _Yeah, I know! But I want to battle!" Daniel demanded, Pawniard getting ready to fight._

 _Samuel pulled out his pokemon and like that, Pawniard jumped at its opponent._

 _End_

Bisharp jumped at Weepinbell and grabbed ahold of it. Bisharp spinning and slamming its opponent toward the ground. Bisharp spun forward and slammed his leg down onto the Weepinbell, effectively knocking it unconscious. Bisharp hopped off the poor grass type, and walked away and spun around.

"Hey, is it me or is Bisharp fighting a bit… I don't know… differently?" George pointed out, Andres definitely knowing what George is referring too. Bisharp was acting a bit more ruthless with his opponents this time around.

Weepinbell was returned to its pokeball as Ramos threw out his final pokemon, Gogoat. Gogoat used Razor Leaf, firing off a volley of razor-sharp leaves directly at Bisharp. Bisharp rolled out of the way but the attack moved and hit Bisharp. The Dark Steel pokemon raised his arms in a defensive way to protect himself from the attack. The leaves cutting up Bisharp, after the attack finished, Bisharp continued to charge at his opponent to get close. Gogoat attempted to attack Bisharp with long-range attacks but Bisharp dodged them all.

Bisharp kicked at Gogoat but the pokemon jumped out of the way to dodge the kick. Bisharp landed on the floor and immediately whipped around to face his opponent. Gogoat used vine whip causing two vines to emerge from the pokemon and launched towards Bisharp. Bisharp remembered his maneuver from before and grabbed onto the vines just as they tried wrapping around him.

Ramos smiled, which caught Daniel off-guard as Gogoat, using the vines, yanked Bisharp towards it. Ramos's pokemon charged at bisharp, horn first and rammed right into Bisharp, knocking him away. Daniel's body ached just from watching that, it certainly looked painful, he grew worried for his partner as he struggled to get up from that. A leech seed was planted in front of Bisharp, the seed rapidly growing and constricting Bisharp. The new plant sapped energy from Bisharp and fed it to Gogoat. Daniel stood there, feeling a bit of pressure on his arms and legs, and grew more worried for Bisharp.

" _Dammit!_ " Both Daniel and Bisharp cursed in their minds, Bisharp eyes turning from black to red quickly. Ramos was shocked with what he saw. Bisharp effortlessly pushed apart the constricting plant and jumping out. Everyone was surprised by Bisharps sudden strength boost as getting out of Leech Seed tended to be a difficult task. Bisharp kicked his foot into the ground, using that to launch himself at the Gogoat. Daniel's pokemon glided over to Gogoat quickly before it even had time to blink. Bisharp, using his momentum, pulled his fist back and threw a punch at Gogoat.

Gogoat was hit so hard, it rolled continously until it crashed into one of the sloped branches. Then...

 _Drip_

 _Drip_

 _Drip_

Ramos was even more shock to see what was dripping from Bisharp's fist. Blood, from his pokemon. The small droplets splashed on the floor, creating a small puddle next to the pokemon. The referee announced the winner and Daniel celebrated, not seeing what Ramos did. Daniel returned Bisharp who crossed his arms before being brought back. Everyone came down to celebrate the victory, Daniel and Ramos meeting in the center of the arena after Ramos returned his beaten pokemon

Daniel expected Ramos to congratulate him but was greeted to something else.

"Young man, I'm concerned, for you and your pokemon." Ramos started, surprising Daniel.

"What's wrong, sir?" Daniel quired, Ramos furrowing his brows and looking back to the very small puddle of blood behind him.

"What is your pokemon to you?"

"Bisharp? He's my best friend of course!"

"I see, tell me… did you know what he was feeling just now?"

"Ah… uh… no…?"

"What I saw was an upset pokemon, from what, I do not know. But I can see that bisharp appeared to be stressed. It appeared as though he put no care in what he did."

Daniel didn't think Bisharp was upset at all, he couldn't even wonder why Bisharp was upset.

"If you truly are his trainer and his 'best friend' like you claim, you should talk to your pokemon. I can tell you are proud of that Bisharp but I felt as though there was a strange imbalance between you two. It's up to you and your Bisharp to sort this out on your own."

"I understand.." Daniel mumbled, looking at the floor in shame.

"The important thing is that you understand. With that out of the way, I now present to you… the Plant badge." Ramos finished, handing Daniel the gym badge. Daniel took the badge and thanked Ramos.

Everyone came down to congratulate Daniel for his victory. As everyone congratulated Daniel, Ramos interrupted asking everyone if they're going to participate in the upcoming festival. Everyone was initially confused so Ramos elaborated.

Ramos explained the festival's history as a celebration of trainer and pokemon and how it started off with a trainer and his pokemon going on a long journey and settling down. The place in which they settled down eventually came to be Courmaline City. The trainer would give his pokemon presents to celebrate their friendship and one time, the trainer gave his pokemon a seed as a present. The seed grew and grew and became the very tree in which they were standing on. The tree was referred to as the "Vow Tree". The tradition eventually spread further out and became a festival where trainers would strengthen their bond with their pokemon by giving them presents to celebrate their relationship.

Ramos told them that the festival took place at the tree and started at sunset and the presents would be opened by the pokemon by nightfall. Everyone agreed to participate in the festival, Ramos telling them that he'll see them there. The group left, heading back to the city, while everyone chatted, Daniel remained silent as he held Bisharp's pokeball within his grasp and merely stared at it.

"Hey Daniel, you okay?" Serena asked, Daniel snapping out of it and looking up to see everyone looking at him worried.

"Oh! Uh, yeah! I'm alright! Just zoning out." Daniel informed everyone, relieving them.

"Well guys, we need to do something for our pokemon for this festival!" Ash informed everyone energetically.

"Oh, I know! There's a shopping street by the port, we should do some shopping there." Serena suggested, everyone in agreement. Clemont stated that he would stay behind at the Pokemon Center as he would be creating his own present for his pokemon. If Clemont was staying, that meant Bonnie had to as well. Following this, Andres chose to stay behind because he wasn't a present type of guy and didn't like shopping either. So it was down to Ash, Serena, Daniel, and George. They decided that they would go in pairs of two, Serena going with her crush and Daniel, disappointedly, chose to go with George (or rather was left no choice)

They got on the train to make it to the other side of the city where the shopping street was. The four of them sat together on the train, Ash enjoying the view of the city and Serena adoring Ash. Daniel sat with one leg over the other and his arms crossed as he stared at the ground. George saw how Daniel was and just knew something was wrong. So, George poked his friend to bring him back to the world. Daniel looked up and looked at George who looked slightly concerned.

"Hey man, what's wrong?" George asked, receiving a confused look from Daniel.

"Dude, I said I'm all good." Daniel answered.

"Bull, I know when you're upset. Come on man, you can talk to me. What's on your mind?" George comforted, Daniel looking back at Serena and feeling a bit of a heartache just from seeing her look at Ash so adoringly. Then he looked back at the ground remembering what Ramos said to him prior.

"I've got a bit on my mind."

"Want to tell me?"

"I guess, well… Ramos told me that he felt some sort of imbalance between Bisharp and I and that he saw Bisharp was upset. I didn't even see that but he did."

"Oh? I guess that explains why he fought the way he did earlier."

"I suppose… but I don't know why Bisharp would be angry… I'm worried that it might be my fault and even if it isn't, I still feel bad that I couldn't pick up on that…"

"Well, you're his best friend so you should talk to him about it. Trust me, talking about a problem helps! Arceus knows it helps when Andres always complains about something."

"Andres complains? Since when?"

"I mean, he hasn't recently but oh boy, when we were travelling together in Unova, it was almost hell man. He would be rambling on about how retarded our society is and so much stuff and I just kind of listened. Personally, I think the guy needs to chill about that stuff but luckily, he's calmed down about it." George chuckled, Daniel slightly smiling but it faded as quickly as it came, "Anything else?"

"Yeah… but, not really sure if I want to talk about that."

George looked at Serena and saw how she was looking at Ash and pieced it together. George leaned in and whispered to Daniel, "Is it about Serena?"

Serena turned around, thinking she heard her name mentioned but only saw George smiling and waving at Serena with Daniel blushing. Serena waved back and turned back to Ash and the view.

"Dude! Shut up!" Daniel whispered angrily, George chuckling and getting out of his seat. Daniel looked at George confused but his friend motioned for Daniel to follow him. Daniel followed George to the seats across from where they were sitting.

"Dude, if you like her, why don't you ask her out?" George suggested, Daniel looking away in embarrassment.

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Cuz of… reasons…"

"You scared or something?"

"No!"

"Then what's stopping you?"

"It's…It's just that I don't think she'll like me back. Not that she will..."

"What? So you are scared of rejection."

"I guess, but I know, and I mean I know she won't like me back."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Ugh, because she likes someone else already."

"Oh? Who?"

"I can't tell you."

George got suspicious and looked at Serena, then remembered how she was looking at Ash.

"Well, you'll never know unless you try. Here, ima try to give you and her some time and you just go for it, okay?" George suggested, feeling confident.

"What? No!"

The train slowed down and everyone got off. Serena led the way towards the street and everyone was silent for the most part. It was a very busy street, plenty of noise and people, especially shops. Daniel would occasionally turn to George only to see him with a sheepish smile which did not help. They started to search shops now, the two groups stayed within close proximity of each other. But, the cracks started to form, Serena would be looking into one shop while Ash would be looking at a completely different one because of their difference in interests. George saw this as the chance Daniel needed and informed him of it. Daniel, still being hesitant, declined but George wasn't going to take any of that and put his arm around Daniel and forcibly brought him close to Serena.

"I'll be close by bro if you need me." George informed, quickly leaving Daniel's side to check out his own thing.

"George!" Daniel called out, Serena turning around and was shocked to see her friend.

"Oh, hey Daniel, I thought you were with George." Serena questioned, her friend's face blowing up in red as Daniel pretended to look for him.

"Oh, uh.. It looks like I lost him! Damn! Where could he have gone?" Daniel said forcibly with sarcasm and nervousness.

"I'm sure you'll find him, if you want, you can check some stores with me if you'd like."

"Oh, umm, Sure!" Daniel agreed, still looking away and avoiding Serena seeing his embarrassed face. Serena had a weird look on her face as she was wondering why Daniel was acting so strange all of a sudden.

The two of them walked side by side as Serena would get excited seeing a new shop and Daniel would follow behind Serena as she ran towards it. Daniel was taking deep breaths to calm down and cool down.

"So…" Daniel muttered, Serena looking behind her to see Daniel's eyes looking around nervously, "How's your journey with Ash so far?"

"It's been lots of fun! I've met a lot of people and I've started catching pokemon and it's all just been a lot of fun! What about you?"

"Us? We've just been going through and battle gyms. Not much honestly."

"Andres told us about Bisharp having this special thing or whatever it was."

"Oh, that… I don't know what it is either. I'm trying to figure it out."

"I see, how's George and Andres? Have they been good friends?"

"Oh, of course, they're awesome! They've helped me grow and get stronger along with Bisharp. We're gonna make it to the top in the Pokemon League!"

Serena giggled, catching Daniel's attention.

"That's one thing I've always liked about you: Your loyalty towards your friends. Even though we've been separated for a good six years, maybe a bit longer… You still considered me your friend, even when I got angry at you." Serena complimented, her compliment appearing slightly confusing. Serena looked behind her and saw Daniel slightly confused, leading her to the conclusion that she should probably reword what she said, "In short, you're one of my good friends, I want you to know that. That won't ever change, right?"

"Right." Daniel agreed, smiling, it was reassuring hearing from her that they were on good terms.

Eventually, Serena looked through the glass in one of the shops to find a flower petal dress on a mannequin behind the glass.

"Whoa, so cute!" Serena reacted, looking up at the dress.

"Yeah."

"I wonder how much it costs." Serena looked through and found the pricetag. The price was way beyond what she had at the moment and this disappointed her, "aww, it's really expensive."

"Do you need it or something?"

"Not exactly, but I figured it would look good for the Pokemon Performance I'm doing tomorrow!"

"Oh yeah…"

"Oh well, like I said, I don't NEED it, so I'll be okay."

Serena started to walk off, Daniel looking at her and then back at the dress. Several seconds passed and a voice sounded behind Daniel, terrifying him.

"Bro, yo girl THICK." was what Daniel heard

"What?" Daniel looked behind him to see a person around his age standing near him.

The guy was tall and slim with black, curly hair that slightly protruded upwards in front of his head. He wore a light grey hoodie and some black sweats.

"The hell?!" Daniel cursed, the guy eyeballing Serena.

"Bro, I would low-key tap that." He said, doing some strange movements with his eyebrows as he stared at Serena.

"What in the fuck… Who are you?!"

"I'm Zach ma boy." Zach put his hand out for a handshake, Daniel hesitantly returned the handshake awkwardly.

"I'm… Daniel…" Daniel said, his face contorting from how uncomfortable he was at the moment.

"I see you're… LOOKING at that dress."

"Uhh… yeah… and?"

"You know the festival's about pokemon and shit, right?"

"Y-yeah, I know that."

"Ight, unless you hoping to get that for your pokemon in which case bruh, you hella weird."

"No, it's not for my pokemon…"

"Just checkin'... just checkin'... Bro, no lie, I'd smash, no question, but maybe if she was a bit more like this." Zach put his hands out in front of him, curled, and pushed them forward. Zach turned to Daniel with a very strange look, "Know what I'm sayin'?"

"No… I don't know what you're sayin'..."

"Brah." Zach proceeded to do a very slow dab that sped up at the end, "Ya boy OUT!" Zach started to walk away, putting his hands in his hoodie pocket and started walking away.

"What the hell was tha-"

"ALSO!" Zach whipped around, turning to Daniel again, "You going to the tree later?"

"Yeah, of course… Isn't that a part of the festival?"

"Coolios, see you there Dani boyyy." Zach continuing to walk away.

" _What in the fuck._ " Daniel cursed in his head, Daniel looking back to the dress.

" _if you really want to get it… it shouldn't matter what the price is._ " Daniel remembered what he told Lucas, he looked at the dress, then pulled up Bisharp's pokeball and felt guilty as he looked at the pokeball.

"Daniel!" Serena yelled, Daniel looked to see Serena waving in the distance, "I found George!"

"Coming!" Daniel yelled back, he looked back at the dress, "Later…" he shoved Bisharp's pokeball back and ran to catch up with Serena.

Daniel, George, and Serena did some shopping, George and Serena actually got stuff and carried around bags with stuff for their pokemon. Daniel followed behind, thinking of what to get for Bisharp but he saw nothing that he thought would be of interest to him. Everyone eventually regrouped back at the station and went into the station to get back. After passing through the terminal, the people at the station celebrated because Ash, who was the first person to step through, was their 1,000,000th passenger. Everyone clapped, a worker handing Ash a small yellow box wrapped with a red ribbon which had a souvenir.

After getting on the train, Ash opened up the box to reveal a blue ribbon. Ash was bummed out because it's something his pokemon wouldn't take either. Ash then worries what he should get for his pokemon but Serena tells Ash that his pokemon would be happy if Ash made a present for them. this gives Ash an idea for what he should get for his pokemon. On the other hand, Daniel told George about what happened to him, about his interaction with Zach specifically.

Once the train reached its destination, Ash bolted off, ready to get what he wanted to get. That left Serena, Daniel, and George to walk back to the Pokemon Center. When they got close, Daniel stopped suddenly which caused the other two to stop and look.

"What is it Daniel?" Serena asked, noticing Daniel's eyes just staring at the floor still.

"I need to go back…"

"WHY?" George questioned Daniel, his friend letting out a sigh.

"Just something I need to get."

"Not you too Daniel, you and Ash are going to be late." Serena worried, Daniel turning his back to them.

"I won't be late, trust me, I'll make it snappy."

Daniel started to jog off back to the train station, leaving behind two confused friends. George and Serena returned with everyone else. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie worked on their presents for their pokemon for an hour. After everyone was ready to go, they set off, Ash made it back in the nick of time to catch up with the rest of the group and everyone headed of to the tree.

Meanwhile with Daniel…

Daniel walked through the street, relatively few people here and there but everyone's at the festival now so it was pretty quiet. Daniel didn't remember where the shop was so he was looking around. The trainer noticed a man sleeping against the walls of one of the buildings and covered with a torn blanket. The man was homeless from what Daniel could tell. Daniel felt an empty feeling in his stomach as he remembered his past.

 _Flashback_

 _Daniel and Samuel huddled with their mother as they lay against the cold wall of the building. They shivered, their clothes torn and burnt, and had nothing else. People just casually passing by, not even batting an eye towards them and just let them suffer. It went on like this for hours on end, nothing to do, nothing they can do. But, that changed…_

 _A family, out of the kindness in their heart reached out to the Barsony family. The family consisting of the two parents and two small girls around Daniel's age. What they said that day, "Do you need help?" was the most reassuring thing they've heard in ages._

 _It sounds dumb, but it was because of this family they could get back on their feet. The family took the Barsoney's in, fed them, gave them comfortable and warm clothes, and a place to live. For Daniel, and for the rest of his family, they are forever in debt to this family. Who was this family? They were none other than the Ferris Family. All hope seemed lost but was regained because of the Ferris Family and the first of the Ferris's to reach out to Daniel was the oldest daughter, Serena._

 _End_

Daniel winced, he would like very much to help but there is nothing he can do at the moment. The man's asleep so Daniel doesn't want to disturb him, he can't leave anything there because some scum would just take it. Daniel felt guilty as he merely walked away and eventually found the store he was looking for.

With Everyone else…

The entire group waited at the Vow Tree, there were hundreds of people and pokemon by the tree, Everyone had to put their gifts in the same place in front of the tree. The crew had all their pokemon out, Typhlosion, ofcourse, attracted plenty of attention from everyone but Andres and him brushed it off. After everything was set, it was time to move onto the event. Ramos, who was there stood behind a podium, with everyone else surrounding him and listening.

"Now then, let's begin-" Ramos said, almost immediately after he said that, all the presents began to get sucked up into something within the tree. Ash's Frogadier immediately saw the target and scaled the tree and fire a projectile at the target. From the tree, fell a Wobbuffet along with two other adults.

"If you ask us 'What on Earth is this?!'", one of the adults said.

She is a woman with has fuschia pink hair that she wears curled in a comet-tail behind her head. She wears a pair of green pearl earrings that complement her sapphire-blue eyes. Her attire consisted of a short black shirt that exposes her midriff under a white high collared sleeved shirt emblazoned with a large red R, a white mini skirt, black leg-length boots, and long black arm-sleeves.

"It's the world's mercy that makes us answer!" the other adult said.

He is a man that has shoulder length periwinkle hair with a single fringe sprouting from the center and green eyes. His attire, which consists of a white long sleeve shirt with a large red R on it and a black short sleeve undershirt, with white pants with a purple belt on his waist and black boots and matching gloves.

"To prevent the world's destruction!" the Woman said

"To protect the world's peace!" the man followed

"Carrying out the evil of truth and love,"

"We're lovely, charmy villains!"

"Jessie!" The woman posed.

"James!" The man posed along with her

"For the Team Rocket duo dashing across the galaxy,"

"A white hole, a white tomorrow is waiting ahead!"

"Just kidding!" a mechanized voice sounded behind the tree as a large, mechanized Meowth styled Mech emerged.

"Team Rocket! It's you guys again!" Ash called.

Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, who seem to be very acquainted with Team Rocket, started to argue with them and in the meantime, Andres and George sit there, not sure what the hell is going on. James activated the vacuum device they had and began to suck in all the presents again. The vacuum itself was powerful, it was tugging at every person there but it didn't move them. Small pokemon however were knocked off balance and was sucked towards the vacuum. Serena's Fennekin got lifted off the ground as it was brought closer to the Vacuum. Serena panicked, calling out Fennekin's name and chasing after it.

Everyone was shocked, the group calling out to Serena. The machine was turned off and the sudden stop of airflow caused Serena to trip and fall. James got close to Serena and forced her up, holding her by her arms. Serena panicked, trying to break free from James, Ash tried running for her but was stopped by a Shadow Ball exploding in front of Ash. The shadow ball was fired by a Pumpkaboo who belonged to Jessie. James handed Serena to the Meowth Mech which grabbed her and constricted her.

"Don't move, or this girl is going to get hurt!" Said the mechanized voice from the Meowth mech, everyone backing of and standing there.

"We'll let the girl go once you give us all your pokemon and presents. Simple as that." Jessie bargained, her hands on her hips, her partner taking out his Inkay.

"Should I?" Typhlosion whispered to Andres, but his voice was still loud enough that some people around him heard.

"No, you're gonna end up burning the tree and in some way shape or form, you'll end up hurting her." Andres denied, looking at the situation and thinking of the best plan of action. George's Lucario emerged from the crowd and immediately darted towards Team Rocket. The Meowth mech tightened its grip, causing Serena to scream in pain. Lucario stopped dead in its tracks, James's Inkay firing a Psybeam at Lucario who didn't notice the attack. Lucario was knocked back, a small bruise where the beam hit.

"You fiends! Let her go!" Ramos yelled, Jessie and James laughing simultaneously.

"Like we said, only when you hand us what we asked for. It can't get simpler than that." James mocked, crossing his arms. The crowd stood there, speechless and very unsure of what to do. Zach, who was within the crowd, only watched.

" _Bro, I would like, do something right now, but I don't feel like it. Not that I could do anything in the first place._ " Zach thought to himself, looking at the damsel in distress and recognizing it was the "thick" girl from earlier.

Daniel was walking back, a present inside of a bag and next to him was Bisharp.

"Hey, Bisharp." Daniel spoke, his pokemon not even turning around.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"Were… were you angry earlier?"

"... kind of…"

"Why?"

"If i'm being honest, it has to do with you."

"What did I do?"

"Andres pointed out something that I didn't even notice. I always knew about it but your friend put it into perspective for me. Your complete disregard for your family, your unwavering focus on defeating your brother. I'm honestly starting to feel like a tool you're using just to beat your brother and win."

"Bisharp, you aren't a tool!"

"Then what am I outside of just battling pokemon battles for you?"

"You're my friend."

"Yeah? What about your priorities? You're so dead-focused on your goal everything it just a stepping stool for you to achieve it. What about the others, what about my goal? Andres's? George? Hell, Serena!"

"Bisharp, I care about you and my friends more than anything else!"

"So in the end, what turns out to be more important, your friends or your damn goal?"

"Bisharp, I-" Daniel didn't finish as he saw a massive crowd in front of the Vow Tree. He saw a large, meowth styled mech further away which caught his attention. "What the hell?"

Bisharp looked, also confused by what he was seeing as well. They dropped the conversation for now to check it out and they were behind the crowd now. Daniel was trying his best to look past everyone; eventually, when he managed to get a good view, that's when he saw it. Serena being held hostage by the mech and two adults with their pokemon out. The mech tightened its grip a little more, causing Serena to whimper. Daniel was immediately concerned, looking around the crowd for his friends and noticed them. The boy forced himself through the crowd, Bisharp trying to follow his trainer but took longer because of his body blades.

"Andres!" Daniel called, putting his hand on Andres's shoulder, his friend turning around and almost jumping at seeing Daniel so close.

"Daniel? What took you so long?" Andres asked, almost irritated.

"No time for that, what the hell's happening?"

"To put it simply, Team Rocket, yada yada yada, stealing, yada yada yada now Serena's hostage."

"And you let this happen?!"

"We honestly tried to stop it but they won't let us."

The two of them looking back, Daniel gritting his teeth and clenching his fist. George was getting ready to say something to Andres, seeing Daniel so he was going to ask them both.

"Yo, guys, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know… no matter what we do she's going to-"

Serena screamed, everyone looked back, the mech tightening it's grasp on the damsel. Daniel's knees grew weak hearing that, an empty, unpleasant feeling in his stomach.

"It's now or never, brats, we don't have all day!" Jessie demanded, getting impatient.

"If she keeps getting squished like this, she might end up dying…" Andres continued, daniel's eyes dilating and his heart sinking from hearing that. Daniel began to sweat, every sound becoming muffled and his ears ringing, the only other sound he could hear was his heartbeat. Daniel's breathing became a little difficult and after several seconds, he can hear clearly.

"Well, we can't just stand here like this! We gotta do something!" George argued to Andres, noticing Daniel trembling from fear, "Daniel?"

"They're right… it's now or never…" Daniel spoke quietly, his bangs casting a shadow over his eyes.

"Daniel?"

"I'll go on ahead… you guys take that chance to save her… alright?"

"Daniel, what are you going to do?" Andres questioned concerningly, the trainer taking a step forward and slowly walked forward. "Daniel…. Daniel!" He called.

" _I'm not going to let her… get hurt like this!"_ Daniel transitioning from walking to a full sprint towards Team Rocket and the mech. Andres and George's eyes grew wide in shock, everyone in the crowd baffled by this.

Daniel was running as fast as possible, his eyes focused on Team Rocket.

"Stop you idiot, you're going to get hurt!" Ramos yelled, Daniel didn't hear a thing and continuing his charge.

" _Alright Daniel, you got everyone's attention! what the hell's next?!_ " Daniel yelled internally, James's Inkay firing a Psybeam towards Daniel. " _Dodge!"_ He told himself, attempting to sidestep the beam. He dodged it but the Beam barely hit, going through Daniel's side and grazing Daniel's skin deeply, shedding blood from his side. Daniel gasped for air because of the attack, he took a quick breath of air as his pupils shrunk to mere dots and his whole body was filled with adrenaline.

Daniel pressed on, coming face to face with the Inkay as he ran, he forcibly pushed the pokemon aside and saw one of the adults, a male standing in his way. The man threw a right hook at Daniel, time slowing down for the trainer as he remembered Bisharp's maneuver against Lucario: Daniel, using his left hand to push away the hit and with his right, threw a punch at the adult, knocking him down.

"You brat!" the man cried, Daniel running for the mech now.

"Not so fast!" the woman warned, preparing to tell her pokemon what to do. An Aura Sphere came out of nowhere and hit the woman's Pumpkaboo, knocking it away. The woman looked to see it was from George and his Lucario. The mech reached for Daniel with it's free hand, the teenager noticed this and ducked out of the way to avoid being grabbed. Daniel began to climb the mech, not feeling the pain of the previous attack but felt the struggle of climbing so fast forcibly. Serena watched, completely and utterly shocked at what she was witnessing from her friend.

When Daniel was high enough, he jumped towards the hand that had Serena in it, jumping in the nick of time to avoid being grabbed. Daniel caught on with one arm, the pain making his heart skip a beat as he felt his arm muscles getting strained and pulled as well as his shoulder experiencing a sharp pain. Daniel screamed in pain, almost wanting to cry from it but he soldiered through, prioritizing his friend over himself. he hurled his other arm up and attempted to pull up, feeling excruciating pain as he pulled himself up. Daniel was breathing heavily and at the brink of passing out once he made it up.

"DANIEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Serena yelled, almost wanting to cry watching her friend get hurt so much.

"I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU, WHAT THE HELL DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!" Daniel shouted back, and trying his best to pry the hand open to free his friend. Daniel was giving it his all to open the hand but to no avail. Daniel tried even harder, past what his body could normally handle, causing blood to start leaking from Daniel's nose. Daniel screamed in pain and anger as he continuously tried to open the hand. Serena was at the very brink of crying herself, this was too much for her to handle and screamed at Daniel to stop.

"Typhlosion, help him out!" Andres ordered, Typhlosion getting in front and charging at the Mech like a gigantic Bear.. Jessie and James jumping out of the way as the large pokemon slammed itself into the mech. The blow knocking the mech backwards, opening up the its hands; freeing Serena and knocking Daniel off. The boy landed on the floor, hitting his head against it and losing consciousness. Serena landing on her shoulder but only left a bruise.

"Oh gosh, Daniel! DANIEL!" Serena noticed, crawling over to check her friend. Typhlosion spun around, going to grab Daniel and Serena.

"Come on!" The mech sounded, reaching for Daniel and Serena as well. Serena winced and held Daniel close to her to protect him. Everyone in the crowd started to take action but something moved past everyone in front of Daniel and Serena like a blur. Serena heard the arm stop and opened her eyes to see Bisharp standing there, holding back the arm, his arms wobbly from the difficulty of holding it back. Typhlosion surprised by Bisharp's sudden appearance.

"Bisharp?!" Serena called, Andres and George surprised at how fast Bisharp closed that distance gap.

"What the hell do you think you're doing…" Bisharp uttered, pushing the arm back. Serena stood there, amazed at the pokemon's strength. "TO MY FRIENDS?!" A purple aura exploded from Bisharp's body, creating a blast of air blowing against everyone.

Bisharp pulled his fist back, and instantly hit the arm of the mech. The entire mech shook from the hit, the arm cracking and shattering. The voice of the mech screamed in fear, James and Jessie looking in absolute shock that the mech was damaged. The mech started to back up, trying to get away from the pokemon.

"Holy GAD, Let's do this!" George called, Andres nodding. Typhlosion who didn't grab Serena and Daniel yet, grouped together with George's Lucario as well as Bisharp. Lucario's arm covered in orange, Typhlosion cloaking itself in blue flames, and Bisharp's aura growing larger. The trio bent their knees and rushing towards the mech simultaneously. Jessie and James cowering behind the mech for protection. "Holy GAD Power Charge!" George yelled, Bisharp, Typhlosion, and Lucario punching and making contact with the mech at the same time. The mech shattered into pieces, the united blow creating enough force to send the entirety of Team Rocket blasting off into the distance until they couldn't be seen.

The Holy GAD pokemon stood there, looking up into the sky as they marvelled at their strength. Lucario and Tyhplosion turning around to take a good look at Bisharp. It was the first time they saw him like this. The aura slowly faded, revealing a different looking Bisharp.

" _Is that what he looks like under the aura…?_ " Andres asked, Daniel's pokemon glowing white as cracks appeared, the light breaking off Bisharps body like a shell to reveal his normal self. Everyone stood there, speechless at the whole ordeal, no one had anything to say. Serena, still holding onto Daniel looked at him, blood covering his mouth, blood leaking from his side and staining his clothes. And his face pale, Serena started to cry, pulling Daniel closer as she whimpered for her friend.


	12. Chapter 12, Up the Ante

_It was night time, and dinner was ready. However, he didn't join everyone, he was outside by himself. Seven year old Daniel sat there on the stairs leading to the doorway, curled in a ball. Daniel heard the door open behind him but he didn't look._

" _Daniel?" A voice called out behind him, he still did not look. Whoever was there moved in front of daniel by going down the stairs a bit to be directly in front of him, "Hey." Daniel looked up slightly, it was Serena, her hands on her hips as she looked with genuine concern._

" _Hmm?" Daniel barely sounded, looking back down._

" _Dinner's ready."_

" _Mmm."_

" _What's wrong?"_

" _... I miss my dad…"_

" _What happened to your dad?"_

" _I don't know…"_

 _Serena furrowed her brows, not sure of what to say or do._

" _Everything's going to be alright." Serena comforted, Daniel looking up again at Serena, "My dad always told me that if I'm sad about something that I shouldn't forget about everyone else."_

 _Daniel still looked, confused by Serena's words._

" _It doesn't matter if you're sad, because you'll always have someone that will be there for you!"_

 _The words started to tug at his heart now._

" _You're not alone Daniel, you have me, my mom, my dad, may, your brother, your mom. Whenever you need help, you can always count on us to help."_

 _Daniel lifted his head even higher, the light of the moon reflecting off his eyes now._

" _That's why, if you're ever sad, I'll be there for you, because you're my friend. That's what friends are for."_

 _His eyes begin to tear up slightly._

" _Your dad wouldn't want to see you sad, and I don't want to see you sad either. So come with me! We're all waiting for you." Serena held out her hand, Daniel reaching out and grabbing her hand. She pulled him up and she led the way back inside, turning her head back to show Daniel a very warm and comforting smile. Daniel smiled and blushed as Serena brought him back into the light._

 _Flashback End_

Daniel slowly opened his eyes, a ceiling fan spinning continuously. Daniel's eyes shot open as he gasped, quickly looking around. There was a window to his right and a hanging curtain to his left. He was on a bed covered in a blanket, his entire right arm felt weird and his side felt equally weird.

"What happened…" Daniel asked himself, trying to move his right arm but it was constricted but his left arm wasn't. Daniel used his left arm to move the blanket to reveal his right arm in a cast. Daniel was wearing his normal attire minus his hoodie but there was a tear on his side, revealing a bandage underneath. Daniel remembered his failed dodge of the Psybeam but he doesn't know why his right arm is casted. Daniel tried moving it once more but was punished with a sharp pain in his shoulder.

Daniel let his head drop back onto the pillow as he sighed, contemplating what had transpired. He soon heard what sounded like the doors opening and footsteps following afterwards. Nurse Joy walked into view in front of Daniel's bed.

"Oh, you're up." Nurse Joy said smiling.

"How'd I get here?" Daniel asked, looking at her.

"You received a light concussion during the incident, knocking you unconscious."

As if on que, Daniel's head started aching, Daniel rubbed his head and felt a bandage wrapped around his head.

"Oww… I remember…" Daniel commented, squinting from the aching pain.

"Your concussion is light so the worst thing that'll happen to you is slight amnesia. The wound you have on your side isn't anything serious, only grazed your skin but deep enough to leave a scar." Nurse Joy informed her patient, Daniel looking at the indicated injuries Nurse joy referred to.

"Then what about this?" Daniel tried lifting his right arm but froze from the pain again.

"Luckily, it's nothing too serious, but any more stress and you most certainly would've dislocated your shoulder. To let your shoulder rest, I've put the cast on as some of the muscles in your arm are slightly torn."

" _Damn!_ " Daniel cursed, looking down at his right arm, "How long is this going to take to heal?"

"I would say a week or two earliest."

" _Damn._ "

"Your friends are here but one's up waiting to talk to you. Would you like me to let him in?"

"Sure?"

"Alright, I'll go get him." Nurse Joy walked away and a new pair of footsteps made their way towards him. They stopped, Daniel looked at the edge of the curtain, wondering who it was. Daniel felt slightly eerie as no sound was made for the next couple seconds… then…

"Danny Boy." Said Zach, his head instantly popping out from behind the curtain.

" _Oh god dammit._ "

"Whazzup." Zach did a strange pose as he held out his right hand towards Daniel, Zach's mouth open apparently.

"Dude." Daniel said, motioning with his head towards his right arm.

"Oh." Zach immediately switched to his left hand, Daniel returning the handshake awkwardly but not as bad as before, "How you feeling?"

"Decent I guess, Nurse said that I almost dislocated my shoulder."

"Damn, you got fucked boy."

"Yeah…"

"Bro, the fuck you doing out there?"

"Wait, you saw?"

"Of course! The whole crowd. what, did you think no one was paying attention?"

Daniel looked away in embarrassment, realizing he just sounded like a dumbass.

"Bro, you finna get some pussy from yo girl TO-NIGHT!"

"The fuck."

"Bro, you finna do her like this."

Zach had his hand in front of him as he thrust his hips forward, generating moaning sounds. Daniel's face quickly contorting, his eyes squinted and he covered his left ear with his left hand but realized he couldn't cover his right ear. Daniel immediately got angry at the prospect of being unable to use his right arm.

"BRO, what the fuck!" Daniel yelled, Zach stopping and turning around and producing a squirting sound from his mouth. Daniel groaned angrily, trying not to imagine any of it. "Dude, seriously, what the hell's wrong with you?!"

Zach returned to a normal posture and put up a poker face.

"I like big butts and I cannot lie." He answered.

"Did you just reference that one song?" Daniel questioned.

"No, just telling you what I like."

Daniel looked at Zach disappointingly, Zach looking Daniel up and down and seeing the injuries.

"Bro, like, legit, you did some stupid shit out there."

Daniel was about to argue but was cut off.

"But I respect that, you didn't do shit but you helped out in the grand scheme of things." Zach complimented, turning away towards the door, "Yo girl was worried sick, she stayed up the longest to make sure you were okay."

" _Serena?_ " Daniel thought, Zach started to walk away.

"Anyways bruh, I gotta go, have to drop off my little brother at school."

"Wait, what time is it?"

"It's like seven in the morning or some shizz. I'll come back later."

"Alright…"

Zach left the room leaving Daniel by himself inside the room. Daniel looked out the window, thinking about the events from last night. He thought about what he did in an attempt to save Serena. Zach was right, it was pretty stupid, he didn't accomplish anything, but it sounds like everything went alright in the end, based off of what Nurse Joy and Zach told him. Then Daniel remembered something and slight panic consumed him. Daniel remembered the present he got for Serena, he didn't even think about it during his "rescue". Daniel was panicking, thinking of the many what-ifs.

" _what if someone found it and stole it? What if was destroyed by those guys who held Serena hostage? What if the guys found it and showed it to Serena, thus ruining the element of surprise? What IF?_ " Daniel frantically thought, getting restless and impatient laying on the bed. He sat there for minutes on end, getting bored and trying to take a nap but he was already awake so that wasn't an option. What was he going to do in the meantime, only time would tell.

Serena finished dressing up as she put on her shoes. She was the only one in the room, everyone was already up, outside probably. Her thoughts were on her friend, she was worried sick about him.

" _I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU, WHAT THE HELL DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!_ " Daniel's words echoed to Serena, it's hard for her to wrap her head around what happened. It all happened to fast, too fast for her to remember everything accurately. Serena moved to the door but remembered something, she looked to her left and sitting on one of the desks in the bedroom is a present bag. Serena's expression changed to puzzled as she walked over to the bag, it was from Daniel and it was for her. Serena became curious, opening the bag only to discover the dress she liked from yesterday, neatly folded inside the bag. She was heartwarmed to say the least, she very slightly blushed but immediately shook her head.

"Why…?" Serena uttered to herself, she was not sure what to feel at the moment, going back and leaving the room.

" ' _I finna get some pussy tonight,' the fuck is this dude's problem… We aren't a thing, jeez… As if we'll ever be… Speaking of which, I wonder how Serena's doing, hopefully she isn't too hurt after last night._ " thought Daniel, staring up at the ceiling.

The door opened, Daniel lifting his head up to look in front of him and waited. Soon emerged Serena who had on her a very distraught expression. Serena looked at Daniel and jumped, surprised to see him awake.

"Daniel!" Serena called, her expression softening. Daniel raised his eyebrows a bit and smiling.

"Hey Serena." Daniel greeted, feeling awkward as Serena pulled up a chair next to Daniel.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, for the most part. Asides from almost dislocating my shoulder and a light concussion, i'm all good."

Serena looked down in sorrow, her hair blocking hanging and obscuring her face.

"You idiot…" Serena said, and slapped Daniel in the face, Daniel's eyes wide as he stayed in place. He snapped out of it, looking at Serena, caressing the part of his face that was slapped.

"Serena…" Daniel's heart aching as he noticed her trembling, and beginning to sob.

"I was so worried for you, I actually thought you were going to die…"

"Seren-"

"That was the stupidest thing I've seen you do and I don't even know how to feel about it… I'm happy you tried to save me and you essentially did… but at the same time, i'm so frustrated and scared because I feel responsible for your injuries, none of this wouldn't have happened if I just stayed put. But look at you!" Serena lifted her head, tears streaming down her face as she held her hand out to point at Daniel's injuries. Daniel choked up a bit as he was filled with sorrow. "You shouldn't have done that! It was too dangerous, you shouldn't shouldn't-"

Serena felt a hand on her own, it was Daniel, she turned to him.

"Serena, it's alright. I.. know.. what I did was stupid and dangerous… but you're my best friend, so of course I'd help out. It's what friends are for... I lost my dad because I was powerless to do anything then, I wasn't going to lose you too."

Serena was silent, just looking at Daniel's hand and figuring out what to say.

"If i'm being honest… I didn't think you had it in you, to pull a stunt like that…" Serena stated, looking away thinking Daniel would get angry.

"Honestly, yeah… I didn't really know if I could follow through with my plan or lack thereof. But I had to do something at the time, or else you would've been seriously hurt." Daniel agreed, chuckling awkwardly.

"Well look at who ended up getting hurt more." Serena somewhat joked, looking back at Daniel.

"Better me than you. Important thing is that it turned out alright in the end."

"Yeah, I suppose." Serena smiled, daniel returning a smile to her and letting go of her hand, "Anyways, I have a big day ahead of me. Today, i'll be making my debut for Pokemon Performance so I have to get ready for that." She got up out of her seat.

"Oh shit! I completely forgot about that, I have to see what it's all about!"

"You need to stay here and rest, I don't want you getting any more hurt."

"Serena, it's fine, I-" Daniel tried getting up and moving his right arm but was punished for his ignorance and he fell back.

"Just take it easy, Daniel, I'll let you know how it goes."

"Alright, good luck out there."

"Thanks."

Serena left, leaving the poor guy by himself again. Daniel returned in a state of thinking about many things. Serena grouped up with Ash and co and they set off to the building for pokemon performances. George and Andres checked on Daniel where they would converse about Daniel's injuries and the whole situation. Andres, frankly, was not too impressed by Daniel's execution during the incident but was impressed by his guts to do it in the first place. They would begin to talk about a team move for the Holy GAD. George presented the "Holy GAD Power Charge" where all three of their pokemon hit the target at the same time and they were all in agreement of this title. Daniel would then tell his friends of his interaction with Serena and then he would strap his friends down to tell them about the strange individual by the name of Zach. Both George and Andres were equally disgusted by Zach from what Daniel recalled.

Serena and co were at the building for the pokemon performance. The building itself was large, about the size of a playing field for any sport and a multitude of staircase entrances up to the building itself. Balloons were hung everywhere around the building. The building was of a blue color and a light grey as a secondary color. It had greenish-grey pillars supporting the building and some posters plastered on the walls of the building.

Inside the building, for the first part, they were in a massive room with a register at the front and banners and lights hanging from the ceiling. There, Serena ended up reuniting with one of her friends she made upon moving to Kalos and reunited with once during their journey, Shauna.

Shauna is a short girl with a tan skin tone, dark green eyes, and long brown hair which she keeps in pigtails. She wears a dark pink T-shirt decorated by three large black bows and a pair of denim shorts with a black frilly bobble on the bottom, also complimenting her black frilly wristband. Shauna wears a white purse with a matching design on her shirt with a pink hood and a large black bow. On her feet, she wears dark pink ballet type shoes with short heels.

Shauna was the one who gave Serena the idea to start working towards becoming a Pokemon Performer so with that in mind, upon arriving, Shauna makes a declaration of rivalry towards Serena who accepts. They go to the stands to check out the stage and after that, that's when Serena and Shauna retreat to the break room where all the performers prepare for the show.

The room is made up of a mahogany colored marble floor, tables and couches scattered around the room and multiple screens hanging from the ceiling. There was a vast amount of competitors getting ready there. They started to get ready for their upcoming challenge.

Nurse Joy excused Daniel as he was in optimal condition to go, Daniel was quick to get back on his feet and immediately prepared to go.

"Why are you in a hurry?" George inquired, Daniel slipping on his second shoe.

"Bro, I have to watch Serena's performance." Daniel answered, trying his best to tie his shoe with one hand but to no avail.

"I'll get that." Andres knelt down and started tying Daniel's shoe for him.

"Well, I don't want to sound like a dick but we got other stuff to do. Andres and I still have to do our gym battles." George stated, andres making a sound showing he was in agreement with George. Daniel hummed, trying to think of what to do.

"How about this? You guys go battle and I'll go watch her performance." Daniel suggested, Andres finishing with Daniel's shoe and turning to George.

"Alright, sounds good to me."

"What about after? What are we gonna do?" Andres questioned.

"We'll all come back here after we're done with everything and I guess once all's said and done, we continue on with our journey.

"Alright, that means saying bye to Serena for now so enjoy your time with her." George said, Daniel chuckling.

"Yeah, I know."

The Holy GAD all got up and made their way to the door, when the automatic doors of the pokemon center slid open, a person stood on the other side to greet them.

"Danny boy" Zach greeted, his hands in his pocket.

"Hey, Zach." Daniel greeted back.

"Wait! So that's Zach?" George pointed at him, Zach taking his right hand out and slowly bringing it up for a handshake.

"Wazzup." Zach said, looking at George. George shook Zach's hand awkwardly and let go shortly after, "Looks like I got you in the nick of time. Any later and I would've missed you."

"Yeah." Daniel agreed, somewhat regretting that he didn't leave earlier.

"So whatcha guys up to?"

"I'm bout to go watch some pokemon performances and these guys over here are gonna battle the gym."

"You mean the pokemon showcase? I didn't take you for a guy that would enjoy that crap."

"I don't know yet, it's the first I've heard of it. I'm gonna go because Serena wanted me to see her performance today."

Zach's head randomly twitches as he had a strange look upon him, staring down Daniel.

" _Oh what the hell is it this time?!_ " Daniel yelled in his head, looking at Zach strangely.

"She wants you to see her 'perform' if you know what I mean." Zach joked, the joke going over George and Daniel's head but Andres understood it and cringed.

"Yeah, anyways, George and I will be going now, you enjoy your time Daniel." Andres getting uncomfortable and putting his arm around George as he walked away towards the gym.

"Oh, uh, cya guys." Daniel waved at his friend then came to a shocking realization, " _SHIT, now I'm stuck with Zach!_ "

"Bruh, while she performing, i'll just be over here-" Zach started doing a rapid up and down motion with his hands as he did an exaggerated movement with is his body. Daniel genuinely had no idea what the fuck Zach meant and chose to brush it off. "Anyways bro, so you need help getting there?"

"Yeah, that would be nice."

"Then let's go!"

And so, Zach led the way, what Daniel thought would be an uncomfortable walk to the building ended up being a casual one. Zach conversed with Daniel on casual stuff, Daniel getting more comfortable around Zach. After a little bit, they found themselves in the building and went in.

Serena was in the back, she was just about done putting on her outfit. Her performance outfit consisted of a pink dress going down to her knees with a large red ribbon at the top. On top of the dress was a red pleated skirt overlapping the bottom part of the dress. She wore a black choker with a golden coin hanging off the end of it. She also wore black stockings and finally, most of her hair was brought back and was held together by a pink ribbon.

After dressing up, she came back into the break room where everyone was now paying attention to the screens.

Daniel and Zach found a pair of seats and sat down. The room was extremely dark and only a few neon green lights lighting up parts of the room itself. There were thin beams of light shooting from one end of the room to the center of the stage. From a quick glance, there appeared to be over a hundred audience members all sitting down. The seats situated around the stage which was set up like that of a modeling stage. Everyone started to cheer as a little light started dancing in the center of the stage.

"Bonjour! People of Kalos who love Pokemon above all else; The Courmaline Pokemon Showcase Rookie Class Tournament, a maiden's festival, will now begin…" and Out popped a man out of the dancing light who appeared to be the origin of the sound. "... with elegance and splendor!".

A spotlight shined at the center of the stage, covering the man in light as he bowed towards everyone.

"I'm Monsieur Pierre, guide to your dreams of love! The man took off the mask he was wearing to reveal his face.

Monsieur Pierre was a tall man with blonde curly hair and a beard at his chin. He had blue eyes and had purple eyeshadow. His attire consisted of a top hat that was blue and black, half of it being blue and the other half black. The man also wore a trench coat which was colored the same way as the top hat but had neon white lights at certain parts of the coat. Hanging from his neck was a large Golden key attached to his tie which was a part of his white suit underneath the trench coat. Lastly, he wore suit pants and shoes of the same color as the rest of his attire. He also held a large funnel shaped staff with the open part of the staff being golden.

"Everyone in front of the TV… and everyone in the audience, I shall escort you to a moment of your dreams. Pokemon and Performer will become one and charm us with numerous exquisite skills. I'm sure they will win your hearts!"

"Serena has sure won mine and more if you know what I'm sayin'" Zach turned to daniel, repeatedly raising his eyebrows up and down, Daniel rolled his eyes and continued paying attention. A Klefki descended next to Monsieur Pierre, handing him a golden key with a small green gem at the back end of it.

"Merci, Klefki." The man raising the key in the air for all to see, "Winners of the Rookie Class will be awarded this Princess Key! Performers who collect three princess keys… will earn the right to appear in master class!" Three different key holograms appeared above Monsieur Pierre. And the winner of the Master Class… will bask in the glory of being Kalos Queen!". The keys merged and formed a hologram of a crown for a Queen.

"Kalos Queen huh? Guess Serena's shooting for something high this time around." Daniel commented to himself.

"Now then, let me take you to the… exciting and thrilling world of performances!" Monsieur Pierre stated, the whole crowd roaring in excitement.

Monsieur Pierre began with the introductory part of the showcase, the first part which was the "Theme Performance" and the theme for today was pokemon styling. Three very small huts raised from within the stage. Monsieur Pierre introduced the performers who were introduced on a platform that ascended upwards from under the stage. Daniel didn't see Serena so he wasn't too interested but watched regardless to see how this whole shindig goes.

Pierre explained the "Theme Performance" as being a performance where the performer has ten minutes to decorate their pokemon the best and the most voted duo moves on to the next part. Only one out of the three performers are allowed to go to the next part at a time so only a third of the total performers will make it to the second part. A hologram of a hourglass appeared and flipped when Pierre snapped his fingers and started the countdown.

Daniel and Zach sat there, Zach commenting on how he would "low-key" smash one of the performers that were up right now because of the dress she was wearing.

After sitting there for ten minutes, time was up and it was time for the performers to show what they've got.

"Performer Alouette and Furfrou, please proceed to the runway." Pierre announced, Klefki opened the doors to the hut she was in and out came Alouette and her pokemon. They walked to the end of the platform and walked back, the crowd cheering, "Next, the combo of Performer Shauna and Bulbasaur!". The two of them repeated the same cycle as the previous performer. The third performer came out and performed the routine and now it was time to vote. Everyone was asked to pull out their Pokelumes which were glowsticks with a blue handle.

"This thing?" Daniel asked, Zach pulling out his.

"Bro, first time I saw these, I thought they were just glowing dildos." Zach stated, chuckling to himself.

Daniel simply stared in disappointment and disgust at Zach. The pokelumes had a button which changed the color of the glowstick, the way you vote was to have your color the same as the performers assigned color. Everyone in the audience raised their Pokelumes and lights shot out, going towards the performers who each had a hologram of a outlined key above them. The key started to be filled in by the assigned color and the meters were starting to rise. Shauna ended up winning by a significant margin compared to the other two. Shauna had a conversation with Alouette and the third performer left angrily.

And so, the performances went on like this, in rows of three performers at a time.

Meanwhile with Andres and George… A massive explosion, a gust of wind blowing against everyone as Ramos's Gogoat was knocked away, completely burnt. The smoke cleared to reveal Andres's Typhlosion in the ring, standing so casually. Ramos let out a disappointed and irritated sigh, Andres congratulating Typhlosion and returning him to his pokeball as they were announced the victors of the battle.

Serena merely watched, shaking from how nervous she was for her upcoming performance. Shauna, who was sitting next to her, took notice of this and looked up in worry for her friend.

"You'll be fine, Serena." Shauna comforted, Serena snapping out of her daze and thanking her friend. A woman came into the room announcing the next three performers, one of them being Serena, it was her turn. Serena took a deep breath and prepped herself up. She got up with her Fennekin and the two of them proceeded.

Daniel was getting impatient now, Serena should be coming up any minute now, they've burnt through a dozen performers already. And finally, there she was. As the platform raised revealing the next three performers, Serena stood there holding her Fennekin in her arms. Everyone entered their huts and began decorating their pokemon.

Serena frantically decorated her Fennekin until finally, time was up.

Pierre called out a pair at a time, each one following the same walking routine. After Pierre called the first two, it was now time for Serena.

" _Come on, Serena, you got this._ " Daniel cheered, crossing his arms and his foot tapping the floor impatiently.

Fennekin wore a miniature white fedora with a pink ribbon. Fennekin also had a massive pink tie with two large loose ends hanging off of its outfit. Fennekin had beads on its tail and wore small white socks.

Everything was going fine, Daniel impressed, then it happened. Fennekin stepped on one of the loose ends of the ribbon causing it to trip. The top hat and the beads were knocked off of Fennekin as it hit the ground. The whole crowd going silent, Serena crying out to Fennekin as she knelt down next to it and held Fennekin close. All eyes were on them, and soon, a few groups within the audience began to laugh, nearby people yelling at them.

Daniel only watched, as he saw Serena knelt down with Fennekin in her arms and everyone laughed at her, he saw himself. He saw himself from before, a small child holding onto his Pawniard as everyone laughed at him. Daniel's heart ached and he gritted his teeth.

"This is hard to watch." Daniel got up abruptly and leaving, Zach getting up and following Daniel.

"Daniel!" Zach calling out, Daniel not turning back but walking out, his left hand shoved in his pocket as he walked out. This continued on for several minutes to the point Zach just stopped calling his name and just followed him to see where the hell he was going. Daniel aimlessly wondered around, not giving a damn until he gave up and decided to sit down on some bench in the middle of the street.

"Bro, what's wrong?" Zach asked, finding Daniel to have a serious expression as he stared off into nothing.

"I wasn't going to go watch the rest of that." he answered.

"Bro, are you salty that yo girl lost?"

"A little disappointed from that to be honest but that's not what's bugging me."

"Then what is?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Well, then explain it to me, I'm right here."

"Seeing her like that reminded me too much of myself."

"In what way?"

"It's a personal thing but let's say I was always laughed at and mocked when I was younger so it was hard seeing her in the same position that I was in."

"So you're mad because she was laughed at by that group of people?"

"Kind of." Daniel looked away, trying his best to cross his arms and legs.

"Bro, it's not like it's the end of the world, there's always next time."

"It's not that, it's the fact she doesn't deserve any of that, not after all she's done for me."

"What has she done for you?"

Daniel was silent, trying to figure out how to put it.

"Well… she… helped me when I was depressed, and has been my moral support for the longest time."

"Wait, so she ain't YO girl? She's just a friend?"

"Yeah, how did you even come to the conclusion that we were a thing?"

Zach rubbed his hands together repeatedly as he had his tongue stick out.

"Ya boy finna slide into those dm's." Zach claimed, Daniel furrowing his eyebrows as he still has no idea what the fuck zach is talking to but has a good idea that it's bad, "Nah, i'm joking bruh, I know you like her."

"I mean, yeah, she's important to me, she's been the reason I've kept going with my journey." Daniel said, blushing slightly thinking Zach meant he liked her in general, but of course, he was wrong.

"Bruh, I mean like… like like her."

"What? How… I mean…"

"Bruh, don't even try to hide it, it's about as clear as day."

"SERIOUSLY, how do you people figure this shit out?!"

"Ya boy has his ways." Zach said to Daniel, Daniel letting out an exasperated sigh, "Jokes aside, so she that important to you, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"Then how come you two ain't a thing?"

"Bro, like, I don't fucking know anymore."

"You should just go up to her and say 'LEMME EAT THAT PUSSY BITCH" Zach said, yelling out the last part, every person nearby looking towards Zach, Daniel cringing and trying to cover his ears and leave the vicinity spiritually.

"Dude.. What the fuck!" Daniel yelled, Zach laughing his ass off. "Bro, you seriously have to shut the fuck up!"

"Okay, okay, jeez, but legit, why don't you ask her?"

"Ah Arceus, I already had this chat with George!"

"And what did he say?"

"He just told me to go balls to the wall and just ask her and he even tried setting up a scenario."

"And did you ask her?"

"No."

"Shame…"

The two of them would sit awkwardly for a minute before Zach started a conversation with Daniel. They started to talk about their childhoods and what it was like, Daniel explained his childhood, leaving out his brother being the unbeatable champion and and other personal details. Zach told about his childhood which wasn't much, he moved from place to place and he's been in Kalos for most of his life. He has two siblings, a young sister and a even younger brother. Zach was older than Daniel by a year, as he was 16. Zach didn't have too much going on for him.

Zach started talking about shows he used to watch and his favorite superheroes being Zubatman and Spinarak man, those used to be Daniel's favorite heroes as a kid too and they would converse about cartoons they used to watch. They discovered they had a surprising amount in common, interest wise. They then transitioned into talking about their goals, Daniel elaborated that his goal was to defeat his brother to prove himself and win the Pokemon League for the Holy GAD. Zach however…

"So, what about you? What do you want to be?" Daniel presented the question, Zach sitting there.

"I guess a professor or some shizz." Zach answered nonchalantly.

"A professor at what? Pokemon?"

"I don't even know bruh, my family's had a history of being some type of doctor or professor. So I thought I should join the trend."

"Is that what you really want though?"

"... I don't know. There's nothing to do here, I just spend my days checking out girls, taking care of my siblings and helping out my mom."

"So you don't think you'll be able to do anything here?"

"Not really, I mean, I'm okay with this cuz I'm lazy and all but sometimes, I wish there was more to do."

Daniel got up and stretched, time flew by, the sun was beginning to set and they haven't ate anything yet but a thought came to his head.

"Then why don't you come with us?" Daniel suggested, smiling at Zach.

"Bro, what? Like with you and your friends on your journey?" Zach asked, double checking to make sure he knew what Daniel was talking about.

"Yeah, maybe then, you'll find something you want to do and you can make friends along the way. And hell, if I was pushing it, I would say it would give you more of a chance to 'explore and see different types of girls."

Zach gave Daniel a strange look accompanied with an odd smile.

"You already know." Zach said strangely, getting up, "anyways, I don't know bro. Sounds tempting but I'd have to ask my fam and I'm not sure my mom will let me go. I can't just leave her by herself with my siblings."

"I understand, here, how about this, you can go home to your parents and ask them, then you can meet us by the Pokemon Center when you have an answer, alright?"

"Sure, sounds good ma boy." Zach and Daniel shook hands, the two of them going in opposite directions to two different destinations.

Daniel went to a fast food store to grab a bite to eat first before heading back to the Pokemon Center. By the time he was back, the sun had set and the moon was ready to make its appearance.

Serena walked in silence, she was just thinking and admittedly, mourning over her embarrassing debut at the Pokemon Showcase. She was in the shopping district, Daniel's bag in hand with the dress inside. So much was going through her head, she heard Daniel was all good and left but now she doesn't know where she is so that's gotten her worried. She's also torn up about her loss as she ended up being the least voted performer on her round, and in the end, her friend Shauna won and got her first princess key.

Serena found the store and went in, going straight to the register.

"How may I help you?" the person behind the register asked.

"I'd like to return this, please." Serena answered, taking out the dress and the receipt.

Daniel walked into the Pokemon Center, and discovered that George and Andres were there and so was Ash and co but Serena was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey guys." Daniel called, everyone turning and calling his name back.

"Bro, what took you so long? It's already night time now!" Andres complained, getting up and walking to Daniel.

"Sorry, I was hanging out with Zach after the showcase, he's actually a pretty cool guy once you get to know him."

"Really? That guy of all people is cool? He's fucking disgusting."

"You get used to it, and he can actually be really calm, I kind of want him to journey with us."

"No!" Andres denied, not wanting to put up with Zach.

"Come on, guys, just give him a chance, trust me, you'll like him."

"Come on, Andres, he isn't that bad!" George commented, Andres turning around quickly.

"Fine, but you better not regret it bud." Andres grumbled.

Daniel talked with his friends about their pokemon battles, Andres obliterated the gym with his Typhlosion and George had a moderately difficult time with Ramos but came out on top in the end. That reminded Daniel, he didn't see Serena anywhere, and went up to Ash's group to ask about her whereabouts.

"She said she was going out for a walk." Clemont answered, Daniel becoming confused and wondering why Serena would go out on a walk this late, granted he is kind of one to talk.

They waited but Serena didn't come back, eventually, they hit the hay and all went to bed. The bedroom inside the Pokemon Center was this massive room with multiple beds apart from each other. All the guys got one side of the room and the girls got the other side. Daniel lay in bed, not quite tired and finding a good spot to sleep in was difficult because of his arm cast. So he opted to just relax in bed and think about Serena, Zach, his brother, and Bisharp.

The door opened slowly, Daniel slight turned his head in that direction. He could barely make out the person entering to be Serena because of the moonlight. She put down a big bag at the desk next to the door and walked to her bed and took off her shoes. She sat down on her bed and sighed, looking around the room and noticing Daniel. When Serena looked at Daniel, he immediately shut his eyes but nothing happened, He heard her lay down on her bed and pull the blanket over her.

" _I wonder how she's holding up…_ " Daniel thought, keeping his eyes shut and his consciousness fading as he fell asleep.

The sound of the door closing woke up Daniel, he immediately sat up in his bed and looked around. Serena wasn't there but everyone was still snoozing. Everything was clear because a little bit of the sun shone into the room, it was early in the morning. Daniel threw off the blanket and put his shoes on, not bother to tie them but tucked the knots inside the shoe. He walked to the door and saw the bag on the desk next to it. He looked at the bag and it was from Serena, for him. Daniel wanted to look inside the bag but chose not to and left the Pokemon Center in pursuit of Serena.

Daniel was several dozen meters behind her, he would only see her just as she turned around a corner. He followed, trying his best to keep up despite his untied shoes and the fact he just woke up. Several minutes of walking took Daniel to the docks. Daniel stood there, as he watched Serena stand near the end of one of the jutting out platforms. Her Fennekin and Pancham out and standing next to her. Daniel wasn't sure what to do, so he just watched and waited to see what would happen.

A cold breeze blew, daniel starting to shiver as he was still only wearing his shirt with the tear on the side so that didn't help out.

Serena brought her hand to her face, she stared off into the sea, and flashbacks of her failure at the Showcase played in her mind. She still felt responsible, if it wasn't for her poor judgement of decoration, Fennekin wouldn't have tripped and embarrassed her. Her vision became blurry as tears went down her face, Serena sobbed, covering her eyes as she dropped to her knees. Both of her pokemon jumping in front of their trainer and whimpering for her.

Daniel could hear her crying out loud from where he was. He slowly took a breathe and he took a step forward, then he was walking towards his friend. In a couple seconds, he was already behind her, looking down at her. Fennekin and Pancham saw Daniel and reacted, Serena seeing this and slowly turned around to see Daniel with a worried expression. Serena almost wanted to cry more but fought the urge to and tried wiping her tears. Serena got up, keeping her back turned to Daniel so he couldn't see her face.

"Serena…" Daniel uttered, she tried her best to stop sobbing and turned around. Her eyes watery and she couldn't bring herself to look up at him.

"Dani-" Serena didn't finish, Daniel brought his left arm around her and embraced her. The only thing running through Daniel's mind was to help his friend in distress, his feelings for her had nothing to do with what he's doing, "Why…?" Serena mumbled, surprised by Daniel's hug.

"I remembered that your dad used to hug you whenever you were sad. I thought it would help…"

She started to cry once more, her head over his shoulder as she returned the hug to her friend.

"Serena, I understand, more than anything, how you feel. I lived day and night with that feeling… however… I learned it's okay to lose." They broke away from the hug, Serena looking at Daniel as he talked. "I always hated losing too, I was laughed at all the time, mocked, and that always brought me down. But… I learned something important because of my friends…"

Daniel started to walk a little bit away from Serena, his back turned to her now and her eyes just followed.

"I learned from my friends that it's one thing to lose… but it's another thing to move on from it… It's when you learn to move on that you get stronger. Worrying about a loss from before only holds you back."

The sun fully emerged, light being shone upon everything. Daniel turned around to face Serena now.

"That's why you don't give up, no matter how bad things look. Learn from your defeat, become stronger, and become the best performer you can be."

Light appeared in her eyes, she blushed slightly and smiled.

"Thank you…" Serena thanked, taking off her backpack and putting it down on the ground. Daniel watched as she took out a pink box and opened it up to get a pair of scissors.

"Serena, what are you…?" Daniel asked, Serena getting back up and jogging past him to the very end of the platform now. Serena brought her hair back, and took a deep breathe.

She started cutting her hair with the scissors. Daniel's staring in awe. After Serena finished cutting her hair the to the point it was messy and short. Large strands of her hair being blown away by the wind as they fell. She turned around to Daniel and smiled.

Everyone was up already and ready to go, everyone looked for Daniel and Serena but wondered where they went. Then Daniel emerged, he was wearing a green hoodie now, he stepped into everyone's view.

"Daniel, where were you? You're late!" Andres complained, crossing his arms.

"I know, sorry, had to take care of some stuff." he responded, smirking.

"Where's Serena? She's late too!" Bonnie commented, Daniel turned towards the the door which he got out of.

"Boy do I have something to show you."

Serena came out with a completely new look. He hair was styled in a short layered bob. Her attire was a bright pink dress with a white collar with her gray top underneath and a red waistcoat with a blue ribbon on her chest. The blue ribbon was the same one Ash received the other day and was given to her as a present from ash after the team rocket incident. Finally, She had her same stockings but wore brown boots this time.

"Ta-da!" Serena spun around, putting on her head a reddish-pink fedora, "What do you guys think?"

"Holy crap!" George reacted, everyone in the room surprised by Serena's complete redesign.

"What happened to you?!" Clemont begged, Serena and Daniel giggling at everyone's reaction.

"It was time for a change, it was time for me to change. I think this looks nice!" Serena explained, Daniel agreeing with Serena.

It was time to leave now, everyone going outside and there Zach was, standing there, trying to catch his breath.

"Oh thank Arceus, I made it!" Zach said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Sup, Zach, got your answer?" Daniel asked, Zach standing straight and lifted his hand. A thumbs up.

"Welcome to the Holy GAD, Zach." Daniel and Zach exchanged a fist bump, Serena merely smiled at her friend. Daniel turned around to Serena, the two of them facing each other, "Well, looks like it's time to go now, Serena."

"Yeah." Serena responded, pulling Daniel into a bear hug which Daniel gladly returned.

" _Aww._ " George thought, happy for his friend.

"Thank you so much again, Daniel. Thank you for the dress but I honestly didn't need it. Saving me and being there for me is the best present you can give me."

"Of course, wait, did you give back the dress to buy me some new clothes?"

"Yup!" Serena pulled away from the hug, her hands on daniel's shoulders.

"Heh, thanks, I appreciate it, Serena."

"No problem, it's what friends are for."

"Right back at you."

"Good luck with your gym battles, and hopefully we can see each other soon.

"Same her, good luck on your performances, and don't forget to keep your head held high."

Serena let go and waved goodbye to Daniel, both groups now going their separate ways now.

Serena was blushing, she was all giggly and excited, Bonnie looked and chuckled. "Oh boy, Serena, look at you, got another crush now."

"It's not like that!" Serena argued back, Bonnie rolling her eyes.

"Suuuure."

Daniel was standing tall, a massive grin on his face as he walked with a new sense of pride, determination, and purpose.

"Man, what happened between you two? Did you ask her out?" George asked, wanting to get an explanation to the whole thing.

"Nah, but we talked a bit." Daniel answered proudly, Andres not looking formed a small smile for his friend.

"Breh, soon, you finna be eating her pussy." Zach said.

"Zach, Stop."

"Bruh, she got too much clothes on bruh, I was able to see dat ass and her tits but now I can't."

"Fucking christ… well, my opinion. This is the best she's ever looked in her life, she's changed now."

"Eh, Hair's fine and all but you gotta agree with me that her last outfit looked hotter."

"No comment."

And so, both groups headed to their next destinations, everyone accomplished something in Courmaline City, Daniel has fully patched up his relationship with Serena and it appears they've become better friends now. Zach has now joined the Holy GAD to discover what he wants to be. However…

The plane was descending, everyone was told to put on their seatbelts and to push up their windows. Samuel looked out the window, looking down at his lap, on it was a light brown jacket with a letter. Labeled on the letter was "To: Daniel, From: Dad".

"Let's see how much you've gotten better buddy, I'll see you soon." Samuel talked to himself.

In Serena's hometown, Vaniville Town, a car pulled up to the Ferris household, the door in the back opened and out came a young man.

He was a tall and thin man and has straight, chin-length, black hair and grey eyes. He wears a dark red hat and sunglasses, he wears blue track jacket with white stripes, navy blue slim fit pants, and black combat boots with blue laces.

"Don't forget about lunch, honey! We're going out later so don't be gone for too long!" his mother informed him.

"Yeah, I know, Just thought I'd hang out with her for a bit."

"Alright, see you in a bit dear." He closed the door to the car as it drove away. He walked up to the Ferris house and knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal .

has blue eyes and brown hair with a yellow hair pin. She wears a simple black t-shirt, a tracksuit, whose sleeves have been tied in a knot. Lastly, she wears orange shoes and has pink lipstick on.

"Ah, Calem! So good to see you! How was your birthday?" greeted, delighted to see Calem.

"I'm doing good ma'm. Turned 18 so that's a thing. Hey, is Serena here?" Calem asked, sighed.

"No, unfortunately, she saw some boy on TV and she wanted to go out and see him. Someone she knew before apparently."

"Is that so? So she up and left?"

"No, but she did leave, she was really excited to see him. It's almost like she likes the boy!"

" _Likes him, huh? Not on my watch._ " Calem furrowed his brows, "Say… , would you happen to know where she went?"

"To Lumiose City, why?"

"Just wondering, bummed that I come back and all my friends are gone now."

"That's unfortunate, would you like me to call her?"

"Nah, i'll be good. Thanks again, ."

"No problem young man, and happy birthday."

"Thanks." Calem walked away, his expression darkening, he shoved his hands in his pocket and started to hum.


	13. Chapter 13, Clearing Things Up

After days of travelling, the Holy GADZ now finds themselves in Shalour city, their journey there was interesting. Nothing in particular happened but it was made interesting because of Zach. None of the crew was used to Zach and his antics, Andres having the roughest time as he still didn't approve of Zach, the journey there not helping in the slightest. Daniel was the most used to Zach and got along with him the most because they had plenty in common. George was the in-between when it came to his relationship with Zach, Andres despised him, Daniel liked him, George was in the middle.

Shalour City was like every other town beforehand, now returning to the trends of inappropriately named "cities". It was more the size of a town which was situated by the coast. Nothing out of the ordinary or much that's unique to the town besides it's abundance of trees compared to the rest. If there was a space between anything in the city, there was trees taking its place. The city was situated in levels of sorts, different levels of elevation. There was the part of the city at sea level, then the remaining levels ascended but all connected just the same.

The guys stopped at the pokemon center to catch a break and rest up before hopping right into battle. They were all sitting on the couches, relaxing and sinking in, Zach decided to give some "exposition" about the gym battle, specifically the gym leader.

"Hey, boys, you see the gym leader?" Zach asked, the guys shaking their heads as they had no clue what she looked like. "Bro, she THICC, OHHHH." The guys continued to shake their heads in disapproval of the pervert. "Like, she has this tiny ass mini skirt bruh, and OOHHHH, makes me want to FAP." The guys winced, spending these last couple days with him have taught them his different terminology of different things. "So don't mind me if I start doing it while I watch."

"Dude, that's gross." Daniel complained, sitting up, pulling up his pokedex to notice he got a notification from his crush. He pulled it up to see a request if they could chat at the phone booths at the pokemon center. Daniel accepted, getting up without the guys questioning. He trudged over, sitting on the chair.

The screen lit up after everything was set up, Daniel seeing Serena on the other side while she was brushing her hair.

"Hey Daniel!" Serena waved with a very cheerful smile, Daniel raised his eyebrows and waved back, smiling.

"Hey." He responded, admiring her new hairstyle, it was still strange for him seeing her like this. He was so used to her long hair but he much preferred this. It looked significantly better on her and it signified that she's changed now. He remembered their shared hug which made him blush a little bit.

"How you doing?"

"Good, just got to Shalour City. What about you?"

"Well, we just finished up here in Lumiose and we're gonna start heading to Laverre!"

"Nice, we'll be heading to fight the gym leader in a bit."

"Oh, Korrina! Tell her I said hi!"

"So you know her?"

"Ofcourse, she travelled with us for a bit."

"Hm… interesting."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, just a bit exhausted from our journey here."

"Oh, i'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

Serena chuckled, hearing bonnie complain about everyone taking so long.

"Oh, looks like I have to go. Bye Daniel!" Serena waved, Daniel waved saying bye back. He turned around himself, noticing that the guys were ready now. He got up, all four of them leaving the pokemon center now to head to the gym. They walked around, asking for the usual direction which took them to the coast. The gym was on a seperate island which was a couple minute walk away from the shore when the path is not flooded.

The island was relatively small, on top of it having a small village and a massive tower that could be seen from a mile away at the center. The supposed path leading up to the island was flooded at the moment and it wasn't until certain times of the day where it would unflood to reveal the path temporarily. There was a sign nearby on the coast showing the different time of the day in which the path was open. They had half an hour till they could cross, so they waited.

The thirty minutes passed by slowly, the water seperating to reveal a stretch of road leading up to the building. Everyone booked it to the other side, scared that the water would come back at any minute and catch them.

After making it to the other side, they walked up a stone pathway following a set of stairs. The Holy GADZ walked up to a gate that was closed, they got worried, believing perhaps the gym was closed or this was private property. The gates started to open outward, revealing someone on the other side.

The person was a nearly bald, old man who only has a lock of hair on his head. He has large, yellow eyebrows which slide down to his ears. He wears a red undershirt, some grey rolled pants and a sleeve-rolled jacket. The jacket having red outlines and a black mark on the left part of the chest. Finally, he wears black shoes with red soles and has a black, fingerless glove on his left hand.

"Oh my, another group." The old man commented, looking at the Holy GADZ, "Are you here for the gym battle?"

"Yeah." Daniel answered, looking to Zach, confused, because he said the gym leader was a chick.

"Wow, Zach, he sure is 'thicc'." Andres mocked, Zach getting upset as he was disappointed at not seeing his fap material.

"Before you go to the gym, you must listen to my story first. That's the rule for visitors on this island." The old man explained.

"What's the story?" George asked, Andres intrigued by the rule.

"I'll share a story about Mega Evolution with you that I'm sure you'll appreciate. Follow me."

The guys looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders and following the old man inside. They walked through a brick tunnel with stone pillars. It was dark, nothing was said or heard besides the sound of footsteps. Once making it through, they were in the tower where the center of it was taken up by a massive stone statue of what appeared to be a Lucario.

"This is my clan's friend: the Mega Lucario Statue! My ancestors' arrival on this island is what began the history of Mega Evolution."

And therefore, the old man continued on with his story. The story goes as such: While his ancestor travelled around with a lucario, they found two strange stones on the island. Upon discovering the stones, the Lucario became the world's first mega-evolved pokemon.

"Ever since then, my clan has protected this sacred place of Mega Evolution."

"Whoa! So my Lucario can mega-evolve?" George asked, looking at the old man with excitement.

"A lucario user, eh? To answer your question, yes, yes it can. My clan, to stick with the tradition, have exclusively used Lucario's as our partner ever since."

"So, uh, old man, where's the gym leader at, y'know?" Zach asked, bored of listening to the story already.

"Old man?! I have a name, it's Gurkinn. Youth, i swear, always so ill-mannered."

"Alright, , where's the gym leader at?" Zach sassed, everyone shaking their heads slightly at Zach's behavior.

"That eager for a gym battle, eh? Fine, then follow me." Gurkinn led the way, irritated by Zach's lack of decency.

" _I'd sure like to have a Pokemon Battle with her if you know what I mean._ " Zach said to himself, getting impatient now.

They followed Gurkinn up a set of stairs that followed up the walls of the tower. The guys observed the statue as they ascended, almost bumping into each other here and there from not paying attention. They were taken into the Gym arena which was rather massive and seemed somewhat old-fashioned, design wise.

The room was massive, being mostly a dull green color with some metal plates here and there in the different parts of the room. The arena was situated in the center of the arena but there was a ditch dug out around the arena. The ditch was carved out neatly, it was curved and had multiple obstacles within it, something you would see out of a skatepark. On the sidelines, carved into the walls was the spectator stands.

George, Andres, and Daniel, doing rock-paper-scissors to see who would battle. Daniel won, George groaning at losing while Andres shrugged his shoulders. The Holy GADZ, except Daniel, stepped on the sidelines while Daniel made it over to the other side with Gurkinn. The Holy GADZ looked around, noticing the gym leader wasn't present.

"The Gym Match of the Shalour Gym will now begin! You will use three pokemon each. Furthermore, only the challenger is allowed to substitute his pokemon during the battle. Gym Leader Korrina, step forward." Gurkinn announced, following this, a set of roller-skates could be heard from somewhere in the room. They could see someone in the ditches skating through it, before making it to the opposite side of the arena and landing on there.

She is tall and slender with very long creamy blonde hair tied in a big, thick, high fluffy ponytail that emerges from the back of her helmet. She has gray eyes and a fair complexion. She wears a typical skater attire, consisting of a short white and red sleeveless dress over black cycling shorts and a white and red helmet on her head. She wears a white, fingerless glove on her left hand, finally, she also wears white boots with red heart decals which function as skates.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Another challenger?" Korrina said, looking Daniel up and down.

"Yeah, the name's Daniel." Daniel greeted, taking out his pokeball and letting out Bisharp. Bisharp didn't even look behind him, already clenching his fists. " _Oh yeah… we never did finish our conversation… fuck… I'll talk to him afterwards, or maybe he's already forgotten about it?_ "

Korrina let out Mienfoo, a small pokemon that was only half Bisharp size.

"Now then, Begin!" Gurkinn announced, Mienfoo starting off with a High Jump Kick. Mienfoo jumped in the air, diving at bisharp while hardening it's leg. Bisharp looked up, jumping up to face the Mienfoo, the act catching everyone off guard.

" _What's Bisharp doing?!_ " Daniel protested, watching his friend in action. Bisharp moved a little to the side as to not get hit by the kick. Bisharp hooked his arm around the pokemon's neck, the momentum from the dark steel pokemon easily overpowered that of the Mienfoo. As Bisharp descended, he switched his hold on the Mienfoo and slammed it into the ground. Mienfoo was slightly staggered but was quick to get back up on its feet and use force palm on Bisharp.

The attack was strong enough to slightly bruise Bisharp and push him back. Bisharp lost his balance as he kept back-pedalling until he could regain it.

"Yo! Bisharp, watch it! Just because it's small doesn't mean-" Daniel was cut off by Bisharp saying:

"Shut it!"

Daniel was taken aback, hurt by Bisharp. Mienfoo used Swift, multiple small stars formed above it as they were launched at Bisharp. Daniel's pokemon started runnin around the arena, dodging each individual star as he made his way close. Mienfoo then tried doing Drain Punch on Bisharp but missed, Bisharp side-stepping the pokemon. The Dark Steel pokemon proceeded to grab it's arm which it used and spin around, hurling him into the ground full force. The small pokemon struggled to get up, Bisharp looking down at it as he brought his leg back and kicked its head. Mienfoo rolled over, unconscious now. Bisharp was declared the winner but everyone was stunned at Bisharp's brutality.

Korrina returned her pokemon, now releasing her second pokemon, Machoke. Bisharp stepped back onto his side of the arena, getting into a fighting stance. Machoke started off the battle charging at Bisharp at incredible speeds. Daniel's pokemon flinched, having a delayed reaction to get out of the way but was too late. Machoke, using its momentum, punched its opponent. Bisharp's eyes dilated, in his head, the only thing he could visualize was glass shattering. Bisharp was launched toward the wall, crashing into it. The Holy GADZ all raised their eyebrows at the sheer strength of the Machoke. The smoke from the impact point disappeared and Bisharp was in the wall. Bisharp coughed, gasping for air as he tried wiggling his way out. After the dark steel pokemon made its way out. He got on his feet, his vision slightly blurry. Machoke stood there, waiting for his opponent to get back into the arena.

Bisharp, after regaining his senses and discovering a serious bruise where he was hit, jumped back into the arena. Machoke charged at Bisharp again, this time, the pokemon was more ready. He ducked out the way just in time before he could be hit. Machoke steered around, charging at the Dark Steel pokemon as he got up. Bisharp had no time to react, only bringing his arms up to block. Korrina's pokemon ducked slightly, doing a low sleep to knock Bisharp off his feet. Following this, Machoke hardened it's hand, using Brick Chop on his opponent and slamming them into the ground. Bisharp couldn't keep its eyes open anymore, as he struggled to stay conscious but succumbed to the injuries and passed out.

"Bisharp is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Leader Korrina!" Gurkinn announced, Zach almost laughing at how fast that went downhill. George was surprised, the same went for Andres but he was more concerned for Bisharp's behavior as a whole. Daniel didn't really feel anything or know what to feel. He pulled up the pokeball, returning it, not sure whether to feel slightly bad that he lost, devastated that Bisharp was that angry with him, or anything else. Korrina returned her Machoke, sighing as she was disappointed with the match.

"Can I have a word with you?" Korrina asked, Daniel broke his daze, meeting her in the center of the arena where she had a rather stern look on her face. "There's something wrong, seriously wrong."

"I know.." Daniel somewhat mumbled, still somewhat confused.

"Your pokemon, first of all, didn't listen to you."

"That's just how we are, I don't like to tell him what to do."

"Oh? So you have that much faith in him?"

"Yeah, but… he did some questionable things during the fight, and fought very differently than before."

"So if you know this, why haven't you dealt with it?"

"I-... don't know…"

"I can tell Bisharp backtalked you, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. "

Daniel was silent, slightly frustrated now that he was being scolded.

"Tell me, do you value Bisharp?"

"Yes! He's my best friend!"

"Then treat him like your best friend."

Daniel choked, meowth got his tongue as he had no response to that. It was like a revelation just hit him.

"People forget, sometimes, it's not just the trainer that makes the pokemon. It's the pokemon that makes the trainer as well. If it wasn't for the partners you have, we wouldn't be where we're at right now."

Daniel's eyes slightly widened, looking at the whole situation with a different perspective now.

"You get what I mean?"

"Y-yeah… wow…"

"I know you care immensely about Bisharp, and I'm sure he feels the same, but you two need to sort this out and show him how much you care. Once you've done that, come back to me, i'll be ready for a rematch."

"Thank you!" Daniel thanked, meeting up with the rest of the guys, they went outside where Zach talked about his major temptation to do it while watching the battle but resisted. The guys were not impressed, bolting across the path surrounded by water. Once making it to the other side, the Holy GADZ started walking back to the Pokemon Center to heal up Bisharp. Once getting there, they noticed a black haired tall man at the register talking with Nurse Joy.

"How can I help you?" Nurse Joy asked, the man pulling out his phone and surfing through his photos.

"Have you seen a girl named Serena Ferris? She looks like this." The man showed the picture to Nurse Joy, the woman looking at the picture and confirming it.

"Yes, I've seen her, along with a black haired boy and two others."

"Oh really? Do you know where they went?" The man asked, Daniel instantly intrigued and feeling the need to answer.

"I know where they went." Daniel spoke up as the guys approached the front desk. Both Nurse Joy and the man looked at him, confused, as he put Bisharp's pokeball on the desk.

"You know where they went?"

"Yeah."

"Wait a minute… you look familiar…"

"I do?"

"Yeah… wait… wait! You're the one dude from the one video!"'

" _Oh no… did he see the Holy GAD video?"_

"Yeah! I recognize you! You were in the one video where the girl was held hostage and you jumped in! Mad balls dude, mad balls."

"Thanks? Wait… how do you know about that?"

"You didn't see the video?"

"No…?"

"Well, it's been trending these last couple days in Kalos. Video's like 'Brave boy jumps in to save girl held hostage by a pair of thugs' or some shit like that."

"Look at that, you're famous boiyo." Zach stated, Andres finding it somewhat ironic considering the girl in the video is Serena, the one he's looking for.

"What's your name dude?"

"Daniel." The teen answered.

"Nice, the name's Calem."

The guys took a seat while Nurse Joy tended to Bisharp, everyone sat on the couches, relaxing.

"Well, getting back on topic, so you know where they went?"

"Yeah, they're in Laverre City at the moment. Why do you want to know?" Daniel questioned, slightly skeptical of this Calem.

"Serena's one of my best friends! I came home after going on vacation for my 18th birthday and suddenly, she ain't' here no more! I find out she left out to go on a journey so I thought i'd drop by and surprise her."

"Her best friend, eh?"

"Yeah, what about you? How do you know about Serena and her whereabouts?"

"Funny, because she's my best friend as well."

"Whoa, how long have you known her?"

"Since I was like seven."

Calem raised his eyebrows, just coming to a realization.

"You're THAT Daniel! OHHH!"

"What?"

"Wow! You're nothing like what Serena's told me! She told me you didn't have balls and was selfish!"

" _DAMN!_ " Andres cursed, his face widening at the roast.

" _Ouch!_ " George said to himself, doing the same.

"Shit bro, she cooked yo ass! She a hoe!" Zach commented, Daniel was surprised but remembered that Serena used to hate him before.

Daniel explained to Calem that him and Serena patched things up and they're on significantly better terms. Calem sighed in relief, thinking that Daniel didn't deserve that hate. After a little bit of talking and getting to know each other, Nurse Joy brought in Bisharp's pokeball which Daniel took. Daniel sat back down, now remembering Bisharp's crisis and wondering what to do. Andres suggested they do another pokemon battle, a free for all between the Holy GADZ. Zach didn't have a pokemon but Calem seemed interested and asked if he could join. They allowed this, they decided to leave, going into a nearby opening in a forest to battle. Andres let out Typhlosion, George let out Lucario, Daniel threw out Bisharp, and Calem threw out Chesnaught.

Bisharp looked around and asking, "What the hell are we doing?".

"We're doing a free for all, a battle between the four of us." Daniel explained, Bisharp seeing typhlosion and getting flashbacks to their first scuffle.

"Oh what the hell! Do you want me to keep losing you asshole?!" Bisharp turned around angrily, Daniel making an expression that read "yeesh!"

"N-no! We're doing this for… for… fun!"

"For fun? Are you fucking kidding me."

"Nope."

The guys looked around at each other, trying to figure out what to do and see who should take out who first. Everyone turned to Zach after a bit who was standing there, confused because no one has done anything.

"The fuck you looking at me for? Just start or some shit." Zach started, forced into referee position. Lucario created a bone staff, charging at Chesnaught to test it out. Chesnaught reached out with Vinewhip, constricting George's pokemon and throwing it at Bisharp. Daniel's pokemon jumped up, grabbing Lucario and throwing him toward the floor.

"Oww." Lucario groaned, looking up to see Bisharp diving down at it. "OH SHI-" Lucario rolled out of the way, quick to get back up on his feet. Lucario used extreme speed, zooming towards Bisharp and knocking him away. Bisharp grew infuriated, getting back up and charging at the fighting pokemon. Lucario stepped back, avoiding Bisharps' mindless punches at him. Lucario created another bone staff, charging at Bisharp who brought his arm back for another hit. The fighting pokemon smirked, sliding and tripping Bisharp, causing him to hit the floor. Lucario got back up, not done yet with his assault.

Chesnaught charged at Typhlosion, Andres's pokemon fired lava plume at the opposing pokemon who dodged it. Chesnaught jumped at Typhlosion, hardening its arm and hitting Typhlosion with it. Typhlosion was slightly bruised from the Hammer Arm attack, turning back to his opponent and spewing out a stream of blue flames.

Bisharp threw another punch, Lucario jumping over Bisharp and spinning around to hit him. Bisharp whipped around, putting his arms up. The fighting pokemon noticed the flames, hopping back which caught Bisharp off-guard as he was incinerated by the flames. It quickly stopped as Bisharp was now on his knees, growling.

"Yo, dude, you okay?" Lucario asked, feeling bad and reaching his hand out for Bisharp. The Dark Steel pokemon shouted angrily, his eyes dead on Typhlosion as he zoomed towards him. Andres's pokemon noticed Bisharp's advance and prepared another attack but another pokemon did the job for him. Chesnaught was surrounded in a bright light as he moved towards Bisharp at incredible speeds, slamming into him with a Giga Impact. Bisharp gasped as he was hit, being knocked far away towards the trees in the forest.

"Nice!" Calem cheered, getting excited while battling, George, Andres, and Daniel were watching Bisharp, making sure nothing bad happens.

Bisharp was gasping for air still, he stood up with a shadow casted over his eyes. The pokemon clenched his fist to the point his entire arm started shaking. Bisharp shouted as loud as he can before punching the nearby tree as hard as he can. The punch created a dent in the tree and caused it to crack outside the dent. Bisharp was wiggling his arm, the pain from punching the tree as hard as he could getting to him.

"DAMN IT!" Bisharp screamed, stomping off into the forest.

"Bisharp!" Daniel called, running after his best friend. Calem glanced over at everyone else, confused and shrugging his shoulders.

Daniel was running through the forest, calling out his partner's' name constantly but to no avail. He kept going in a straight direction, hoping that's where Bisharp ran off to. He ran for several minutes, starting to get tired from running and progressively slowing down. Daniel then made it out into another clearing, they were at the edge of a cliff and at the edge itself, was Bisharp. The pokemon was on all fours, shuddering as Daniel could hear what sounded like… crying. Daniel walked over, reaching out with his hand to his partner and saying, "Bisharp-"

Daniel was cut off with Bisharp whipping around and back-handing Daniel away. "Get the Hell away from me!" Bisharp shouted, his heart sinking seeing that he just hit Daniel. The hit was hard enough to knock Daniel to the ground. There was a bruise where Daniel's face was hit and his lip was now busted from the impact.

"D-DAMN IT! Why the hell did you follow me?!" Bisharp demanded, turning his back to Daniel while clenching his fists.

"Because you're my best friend, that's why!" Daniel argued, getting back up as he put his hand over his bruise.

"Oh, like hell I am!"

"I mean it!"

"Then what in the fuck am I even doing here?! Why the hell am I in this situation right now?!"

Daniel was stunned, looking at the ground in shame, realizing he wasn't handling this the right way.

"Man, you're a piece of work aren't you? Oh, look at me! I'm because I'm someone's brother! Oh, durr, I love Serena and she's the most important thing in my life!" Bisharp mocked, kicking away a rock. The sun was starting to set as it touched the horizon now. Daniel got slightly irritated with Bisharp's impersonation of him but, he honestly isn't wrong.

"Bisharp…" Daniel mumbled.

"What?!"

"I'm… sorry, Serena was right, I am more ignorant than I think I am."

"Always back to her, isn't it?!"

Daniel couldn't deny that, it was because of her that everything jumpstarted for Daniel.

"Yeah… but… I…" Daniel couldn't think of anything to say, Bisharp was losing his patience and was half-tempted to just leave and find something better to do. "Bisharp, I don't think i've really expressed a whole lot over these years… most you've probably seen me do is whine and bitch about my brother and how i'm disrespected."

Bisharp remained silent, hearing him out.

"I was selfish beyond belief… It was all about me, my problem… my life, nothing else… my needs, my desires… but, that changed… I changed because of my closest friend… you."

Bisharp lifted his head, turning slightly towards Daniel.

"I don't know what I would do without you Bisharp… Sure, Serena was there for me at my lowest point in my life, but you… you've been there for me this entire time, and I couldn't be more grateful. I didn't just choose you as my partner because I felt bad for you, I really saw a burning determination in your eyes… a determination to win and prove yourself like me. You, out of everyone else, was the person I could relate to and bond with over being second fiddle… I really wanted the best for you, I wanted to get stronger with you and help you achieve your goal… There were many times that I almost wanted to give up and drop everything but you kept me going. You kept encouraging me to keep going even though times were hard."

Daniel started to tear up, choking up as he said this as his vision got blurry. Bisharp turned around completely, looking at Daniel who was at the verge of crying. Daniel stepped close to Bisharp, pulling him into a hug and letting out the tears.

"Bisharp…! You're my bestest friend…! I don't want to lose you… I'm sorry for treating you the way I did… I'm sorry!" Daniel cried, ignoring how uncomfortable Bisharp's body blades were against his body. Bisharp teared up as well, sobbing as well as he embraced his best friend as well. They both cried, hugging each other until suddenly, Bisharp turned white and started to glow as his body morphed and changed. The glowing light on Bisharp's body broke off like a shell as he was now different than before.

"Thank you…" Bisharp thanked, crying just the same. They broke the hug, looking at each other as they wiped their eyes. "All I've ever wanted to do is help you achieve your goal, earn the respect you deserve."

"I saw myself in you and wanted you to succeed more than anyone else. I wanted to help you defeat Deoxys and prove you aren't weak like everyone else thinks!"

"That's why we're partners."

"Best friends."

"Amigos."

"Acquaintances."

"O-oh."

They both started laughing out loud, they almost started crying again from their laughter but contained themselves. Daniel stood up straight, bringing his fist up towards Bisharp.

"Bisharp, thank you. You've done more for me than anyone else has." Daniel said, Bisharp very quick to return their signature fist bump.

"You're forgiven."

"Oh am I?"

"What? You want me to say 'no, fuck you, suck a dick.'"

Daniel chuckled, looking to his best friend and saying:

"No, no I do not."


	14. Chapter 14, Equilibrium

Andres, Calem, and George had finished their battle, leaving Daniel to find his pokemon. George and Calem expressed concern but Andres dismissed it by saying it was a matter that needed to be sorted out by the two of them. They then noticed that the sun was beginning to set and there was no sign of the duo yet. They decided they should search for the trainer and his pokemon before it gets too late. They decided to split up but before they could get the chance to start heading in separate directions, someone emerged from within the forest and into the clearing.

Daniel walked toward the guys, beside him was his best friend Bisharp, with an upgraded look. All three of them raised their eyes, equally surprised by Bisharp's appearance. They looked the pokemon up and down and made a "hm" sound indicating they were impressed and somewhat approved the change.

Calem, who was still confused out of all of them asked, "D-did Bisharp evolve? I didn't know they had another evolution… or a mega evolution for that matter."

"It's neither." Daniel responded, smirking for the fact he patched up his relationship with his best bud.

"What? Then what is it?"

"Beats me." Daniel shrugged his shoulders, chuckling about the fact that him and Bisharp just learned about something they have no idea about.

"I have a theory." Andres butted in, everyone turned to him to hear him out, "Oh, you wanna hear it now?"

"Yeah." George answered.

"Alright, well, first, quick question for the two of you." Andres indicated towards Daniel and Bisharp by looking at them. "How do you two feel at the moment?"

The question confused Daniel and Bisharp, the partners looking at each other and back at Andres. "Content I suppose?" they answered.

"Hm, this might be a wild shot but I propose that Bisharp's 'power up' if you will is due to the bond you two have."

"Huh?" Everyone questioned, their heads dropping to the side instantly in confusion.

Andres sighed, everyone reacting without letting him finish his sentence. "Let me elaborate, I was going to say that this triggers because of the close relationship they have. The two are practically brothers in their own right so it would only make sense. And this usually tends to happen when they feel the same thing… I think." Andres finished, everyone still giving him puzzled stares.

"Cool, then how do you explain their bond changing his appearance?" Calem asked, whipping around to the duo partners who returned to him a confused look.

"How the hell should I know?"

"Wait! I know we talked about it before but what if it's the thingy the one gym leader talked about?" George presented the question, Calem turning to him wanting to know.

"The whole representative thing? Come on man, that's gotta be bullshit." Daniel replied, Calem turning to him.

"Actually, the more this goes on, the more I'm somewhat inclined to believe it's true." Andres argued, Calem turning back to him. This escalated into a debate between the Holy GAD with the older trainer turning around, becoming more and more puzzled with each thing said. This eventually drove him crazy and he got a headache trying to put everything together.

"GUYS!" Calem yelled to catch their attention, "What the hell are you guys talking about?!"

"Oh… umm… prophecies.. And shit.." Daniel explained, not sure how else to put it.

"What prophecy?!"

"At this point, I don't know anymore."

At that moment, they all realized something crucial and important. "Where's Zach?" They all asked, looking around and noticed Zach in the same exact spot as before, napping.

"Boi." Daniel mocked, the guys deciding to postpone the conversation until they get back. They woke up Zach who was grumpy about being woken up and even more grumpy because he had to move. The sun was almost out of sight by the time they got the pokemon center, they let their pokemon rest up while the guys chilled at the couches they sat at last time.

A question arose in Daniel's head about Calem, he asked how Daniel knew Serena but he never asked back. "So.. Calem, how DO you know Serena anyways?" Daniel quired, sinking into the couch to relax.

"Oh? I never did say anything did I? Well, we're neighbours simply put. She got hear here about… six years ago.. Yeah, six years ago when I was around 12. She moved to Kalos and got a home near mine in Vaniville Town. My family and I saw how her and her mom struggled to settle in so we decided to help out. And like that, that's how we met, we became friends and she told me all about Kanto. She even mentioned you a couple times but like I said before, she didn't really have much nice things to say and the only times she did say something considered 'nice', was when she explained how she missed her old friendship when you weren't so selfish."

"Oh."

"Yeah, nothing really complex, I brought her into my group of friends which consisted of me and three others. I had nearly finished my pokemon journey around that time so when I did finish, we caught up. And that leads up to now, coming back from my 18th birthday to see her gone."

"Wow… thanks…"

"Why?

"Thanks for helping Serena, I mean it."

Calem was silent, from the tone and expression Daniel showed, he could tell he meant it and responded with, "Yeah, no problem."

After chatting for quite a bit, the guys decided to hit the hay to challenge Korrina to another gym battle tomorrow. They went to the bedroom in the pokemon center where the guys slept in their own individual beds. The moonlight lit up the room in a blue-ish color and the setup was the same as every other pokemon center.

Daniel lay in bed, resting his head on his hands which were behind him. He stared up into the ceiling, his thoughts drifting over to his crush, Serena. An image of her popped up in his mind, Serena smiling at him. The image faded into a new one of his hug with her which formed a smile on his face. Finally, the pleasant scene faded to black in his head as he silently let out his breath.

" _You know… the guys are probably right… when will I ever tell her? What am I supposed to say to her? 'Oh jee, I love you, durr,'... fuck no, ahh, this is so annoying!_ " The teen groaned internally, closing his eyes to rest them and try to slowly fall asleep. " _Dammit Ash… why'd you have to go and take her heart? Ugh, now I'm stuck here contemplating all this… no- no! Don't think like that! Focus on the task at hand, you got a battle to win tomorrow and a brother to beat! Good night._ " And like so, Daniel went under, succumbing to his exhaustion.

The guys had all woken up, eating breakfast and all the usual necessary things required in the morning. After finishing up, they set off towards the gym, waiting for the water to pass like last time. After they made it across, they came across Gurkinn once more who didn't say much and immediately assumed they were here for a rematch. The man took them through the island and through the central tower into the arena where the guys split off.

Daniel released Bisharp from his pokeball, the pokemon back to his original state, looked around and noticed his trainer behind him with a confident smile.

"You got this buddy." Daniel cheered, bringing up his fist.

"Yeah, I got this." Bisharp agreed, bringing his fist up as well to connect with Daniel's.

"Give em' hell."

"That's the plan."

Gurkinn announced the battle as last time. Korrina coming out and skating around the room before landing on the opposite end of Daniel.

Korrina looked Daniel and his pokemon up and down, smiling. It was very visible, their confidence, especially the Bisharp who appeared much more calm than before and focused.

"So, I see you've come back. I suppose you've improved since yesterday?" Korrina said out loud, Zach in the sidelines admiring her "features."

"Definitely." Daniel responded.

She let out her Mienfoo from last time who got into a battle stance, Bisharp doing the same and preparing for an attack.

"Well, look at that, I'm getting a little excited now, let's see what you got." Korrina challenge, waiting for Gurkinn to star the battle.

"Now then, begin!" Gurkinn stated, Korrina started off by having Mienfoo do a High Jump Kick like last time. Mienfoo jumped in the air and dived knee-first towards Bisharp.

"Child's play." Bisharp muttered, hopping to the side as the pokemon made impact with the ground. The attack created a small dent in the ground and lifted some dust up. Mienfoo got up, recovering from the pain of diving knee-first into the ground. The small pokemon looked around to notice a shadow very close to it as he was suddenly kicked away to the center of the arena.

"Nice." Daniel complimented, anticipating what his partner would do next.

"Mienfoo, Swift!" Korrina ordered, her pokemon firing a barrage of small star-shaped projectiles towards the opposing pokemon. Bisharp ran towards the attack, spinning to the side to get out of the way and continue to charge towards the the Mienfoo. "Intercept with Drain Punch!" Mienfoo's arm was covered in this green aura of sorts as it closed into intercept. Bisharp ran faster, sliding while sticking his arm out to trip the pokemon over who was staggered. Daniel's pokemon quickly got up, jumping up slightly in the air to slam it's elbow onto the tripped over Mienfoo.

The small pokemon gasped from the pain before falling unconscious. Gurkinn declared Bisharp the winner of the round, Korrina returning her pokemon to bring out the Machoke who manhandled Bisharp last time.

"Now that Machoke's out, what are you going to do this time?" Korrina questioned, wanting to see her challenger's strategy. She's impressed by Bisharp's moves thus far and is excited to see how well it does against her pokemon. "Machoke! Charge at Bisharp!"

The Machoke readied up, speeding towards the Dark Steel pokemon at incredible speeds. Bisharp charged at its opponent, ready to face it head on.

Daniel felt a massive urge to mimic Bisharp's movements, pretend he too, was a part of the fight. Bisharp stopped dead in his tracks bringing his arm back for an attack. Daniel did the same, mimicking his partners moves.

Andres raised his eyebrows, he was paying attention to Daniel and his Bisharp noticing they were moving in tandem. Machoke was almost a meter away from Bisharp as he started swinging his arm towards Machoke. Bisharp's arm exploded in a dark purple aura as he swung his arm, slamming his fist into the Machoke's stomach. The sound generated from the impact of the punch could be heard by everyone, the punch created a shockwave that went through Machoke and blew against Korrina, blowing against her hair. The leader's pokemon spat out as its eyes rolled back while it trembled immensely. The fighting pokemon staggered back, barely able to maintain its balance and shortly after, collapsed to the floor.

Everyone's eyes suddenly expanded to the size of baseballs and their jaws dropped to the floor upon seeing this. Bisharp lifted his head to look at the gym leader to reveal his eyes glowing red. The gym leader twitched and slowly returned her pokemon, regaining her composure and smirking nervously.

"Well, well! You've definitely improved, I think it's about time you fought my ace, Lucario!" Korrina threw out her pokeball to release her final pokemon. "I don't think we need to hold back, let's do this Lucario!" Korrina proceeded to switch into different poses as she yelled out "Explode… with… life! Mega evolve!" Korrina finished, touching her Keystone on her left glove. A bright white light shone from the stone itself as the mega stone attached to a gauntlet on Lucario's left arm shone just the same. Lucario was covered in a wavy bright colored red shell, the figure of the Lucario morphed and changed as it mega-evolved. The shell of light faded to reveal the mega-evolved lucario, the presence of it blowing away the air around it gently.

"WHOA! Is that a Mega Lucario?!" George stated the obvious, Andres intrigued by the sight of mega-evolution.

"Now this here is my ace, I've only lost once with this, so you think you'll be able to get past me?"

Daniel smirked, looking towards Korrina who returned to him a confident smirk, "My first time fighting Mega-evolution! This should be interesting."

"Alright, Lucario, start off with Power-up Punch!" Lucario dashed forward directly towards Bisharp while charging up his attack by covering his arm in a orange shell. Bisharp ran towards Lucario at the same pace. Once the two pokemon were near each other Bisharp slid past the mega evolved pokemon, recovering and spinning around to hit Lucario. The fighting pokemon responded to this by whipping around to attack Bisharp, their punches collided; however, Lucario overpowered Bisharp. Bisharp arm was shot back as he staggered back. Korrina's pokemon seized the opportunity to get an attack in by forming a bone staff. Bisharp was knocked to the side by the staff, skidding across the ground but stopped himself.

" _Oh boy, Bone Rush, my 'favorite' move._ " Bisharp mocked, getting back up on its feet.

"Lucario, Metal sound!" Lucario slammed it's wrist spikes together to generate an ear-piercing sound that gave everyone a headache. Everyone except Lucario covered their ears, while doing so, the fighting pokemon jumped up into the air and charged another power-up punch and plunged towards Bisharp. After the Dark steel pokemon recovered from the headache, he looked up to notice Lucario almost close to hitting him, he rolled forward as far as he can to get out of the way. Lucario punched the the floor, generating a ground-shattering sound with dust rising up.

Bisharp turned around to keep his eyes on his opponent but upon turning around, saw a Aura Sphere headed his way giving him no time to dodge, the attack explode upon impact.

Bisharp was sent into the ground, the smoke clearing to reveal a seriously injured Bisharp. Daniel's pokemon slowly got up, feeling the pain as Daniel's body just felt like he got slapped all over the place. The bruises on Bisharp were visible, Korrina's Mega Lucario was powerful, no doubt.

"Don't let up! Go in for another hit!" Lucario charged at Bisharp, the dark steel pokemon gasping rolling to the side to get out of the way. His heart was racing, he began to panic and tried to compose himself. Lucario chased after Bisharp, throwing punch after punch which the opponent barely dodging by a hair.

Daniel too, began to panic, trying to think of any possible solution to defeat Lucario. " _Dammit! Lucario's too fast! They're giving us no time to even counterattack. Bisharp's durable and all but there's no way he's going to win like this. Come on… THINK! THINK!"_ Daniel yelled to himself internally, Bisharp rolling back but it backfired with Lucario doing a power-up gut punch. Bisharp rocked back, falling on his back but he continued trying to get up even with the injuries. Lucario used Bone Rush and slammed the stick towards Bisharp, the pokemon, through sheer effort and will rolled out of the way of the hit, groaning in pain.

Daniel watched, his partner smacked away by Lucario's bone rush to the center of the arena, Bisharp getting up, trembling so much that anyone in the room can see. He fell to his knees as he somewhat collapsed, his arms and head hanging over. He can feel his consciousness slowly slipping but he refused to go down. Anything he did at this point hurt him, thinking gave him a headache, his body aches and it hurts more when he moves, he can't bring himself to move but he also can't bring himself to go down either.

Lucario walked up to its weakened opponent, looking it down and feeling bad for it. Korrina watched, letting out a sigh of disbelief at the fight. "Well, looks like you lose. I don't mean to sound cocky but I expect more. What a shame… Lucario, finish it." Lucario brought its arm back, charing up the power-up punch.

" _Dammit… is this really it? Are we just never going to get better? Has everything just been a waste?"_ Daniel's vision changed, everything around him turning dark but the only thing he could see still was his Bisharp, weakened and battered.

" _Why…? no matter how many time I try, I just keep losing… I'm outclassed by everyone around me, Typhlosion, Lucario… Deoxys… Is this my fate? Just to be second fiddle?"_ Bisharp complained to himself, wincing in rage.

" _No! That's not how we're going to go out! We're better than this!"_

Bisharp opened his eyes, the only thing he can see in the darkness is his best friend, he heard his thoughts. " _Daniel…?"_

" _We're not gonna stop here! Remember the promise we made! We're still in this together. We're not stopping here, we're making to the top, the two of us!"_

Bisharp smiled, the two of them taking in deep breathes and letting it out, closing their eyes. They could hear each other's heartbeats synchronize into one.

Lucario threw the punch at Bisharp, swinging his arm but it was stopped. Bisharp had his arm lifted up, catching the punch but his arm still wobbled slightly. Bisharp brought one foot forward, using it to get back up. Everyone in the room had their mouth open in awe as they watched the Dark Steel pokemon stand on his feet. Bisharp lifted his head to stare directly into Lucario's eyes with his glowing red pupils. Lucario gasped, noticing Bisharp pushing back his arm.

"Impossible…" Korrina said in shock, The fighting pokemon brought back its other arm to hit Bisharp and went it swung, Bisharp bobbed to the side, letting go of Lucario's fist and striking him all in one swift movement. The attack bruised Lucario, the pokemon losing balance and falling back but managed to regain its balance. Lucario coughed, looking back to Bisharp to notice his body glowing slightly before suddenly, a wavy purple and crimson aura exploded from within Bisharp's body, surrounding and engulfing him. Within the aura, two red dots beamed with light, the aura parting to reveal Bisharp and his new upgraded look.

Bisharp's head blades were now in a different formation, he now has a golden curved blade with silver trimming protruding forward on his head. Accompanying it is two other curved blades beside it protruding backwards. Bisharp now has a Sharp, golden mask with silver trimming covering up most of his face. Bisharp's eyes were obscured, a shadow being casted

"What the-!" Korrina stumbled on her words, surprised by the sudden change Bisharp went through. Daniel and Bisharp assumed the same fighting position as they both stared down their opponents. Lucario twitching slightly from Bisharps cold stare.

"All right! They're back in the game!" George cheered, Andres smirking, impressed his rival is pulling through still. Zach decided to fully pay attention now and Calem watched the spectacle.

"We're not going to lose, I made a promise to all of my friends I wasn't going to. I already broke it once, I have no intentions of doing so again. We're gonna show you our resolve, our strength when we're united. Get ready, cuz now we're getting serious." Daniel informed, now having a massive sense of immersion within the battle, as if he truly felt one with his best friend.

"Lucario, aura sphere!" Her lucario did as told, firing a lighting fast aura sphere towards Bisharp. Almost as fast, Daniel and Bisharp slid to the side to dodge the blast.

" _Whoa…_ " They both thought to themselves. Lucario formed a bone staff, charging at bisharp and beginning to spin wildly as he advanced. Bisharp ran towards Lucario, ducking last second to do a low sleep and knock Lucario off his feet. As planned, Lucario fell over, but managed to push himself with one arm away before he could get hit with a consecutive kick. Bisharp got back on his feet with one hop. Lucario stuck his bone staff out, rotating it constantly to the point it started to blow wind away. The fighting pokemon ran up, jumping in the air, spinning around, and throwing the spinning staff towards Bisharp. Bisharp slid on his two feet under the attack, watching it zoom by before standing back up. As he stood back up, Lucario came up, uppercutting Bisharp into the air. The Dark Steel pokemon slowly spun backwards so that he landed on his hands, then pushed himself backwards onto his feet.

Daniel and Bisharp both massaged their jaw from the surprise punch. Lucario pursued its opponent, charging another punch. Bisharp narrowly sidestepped the attack, grabbing Lucario by the base of its neck and lifting his knee up. Lucario was forcibly guided another direction and his momentum backfired on him when he ran into Bisharp's knee full speed. Lucario had the wind knocked out of him after the hit, Korrina's pokemon stumbled back in pain. Bisharp took this opportunity to clock Lucario, hitting the pokemon away causing it to slide against the floor. Lucario got back up, yelling a battle cry as it ran towards Bisharp. Daniel and Bisharp did the same, the ladder running towards Lucario just the same as both sides threw a punch at one other. They connected with each others faces, a slight bruise appearing on Daniel's cheek now.

The two opponents pulled back their fists, trading blow for blow as they hit each other. After some bit of trading blows, they had their arms locked and engaged in a pushing competition of strength. Both pokemon pushed against each other aggressively, both growling but not quite angry. They were both having, fun, as seen when they both smirked at each other.

Daniel looked at his partner, entering a small daydream or flashback of sorts of Bisharp when he was a small Pawniard, trying to fight other pokemon his size. Then, the pokemon started to grow, and eventually, evolve into Bisharp. He returned to reality to see himself maintaining the same position as Bisharp as the two were engaged in combat.

Lucario attempted to charge an aura sphere while in the arm lock but not without catching his opponents attention. "Not today." Bisharp said, kicking Lucario's stomach with his knee making the pokemon gasp for pain and air. The dark steel pokemon continued by grabbing the fighting type's shoulders and bringing Lucario in for a headbutt. Lucario staggered back, his ears were ringing and his hearing was muffled as his vision became slightly blurry.

"Lucario! Metal sound!" Korrina yelled, Lucario barely heard it, trying to utilize the attack as fast as it could, getting it to work, stopping Bisharp dead in his tracks. Daniel and Bisharp covered their ears, they did their best to ignore the sound and the headache because of it and run at Lucario. "Bone rush!" Lucario regained its senses for the most part, creating the staff and dual-wielding it as he brought it back, now using power-up punch in conjunction with it. Bisharp continued on, readying for another hit.

Lucario swung the staff, Bisharp trying to block with his left arm but was punished. The hit made Bisharp yell in pain, the pain making Daniel yelp as a bruise was on his left arm as well. The staff pushed Bisharp's arm back, Daniel and his pokemon grunted but shouted together as they pushed against the staff, feeling immense pain. The bone staff shattered in two, Lucario's eyes widened in shock and fear as his opponent prepared one last hit. The Dark Steel pokemon's arm was engulfed in a purple aura as he swung his arm, making contact with Lucario's face as Bisharp dragged him with the punch before slamming the pokemon into the ground with it. The ground beneath them shatter as Lucario was shoved through it and losing consciousness all the same. Lucario reverted back to its original form, Daniel and Bisharp stood there, breathing heavily from the fight and the pain from the fight slowly settling in.

"Lucario is unable to battle. Bisharp wins! Therefore, the winner is the challenger, Daniel!"

The Holy GADZ cheered for their friend, Daniel's face widened as a big smile formed on his face.

"BRO!" Daniel yelled, running towards Bisharp who turned around and started running towards him. Bisharp's aura faded as he, too, returned to his normal state. The two partners shook hands upon reaching each other and pulling each other in for a hug before finishing it off with a fist-bump. "Dude! We did it!"

"Yeah!" Bisharp exclaimed, they both chuckled before looking to Korrina who was speechless. She returned her pokemon to its ball, then made her way to the center of the arena to meet Daniel and Bisharp. Gurkinn did the same, advancing towards the center.

Daniel turned to Korrina and grinned, putting his arm around Bisharp. "Well, what do you think?" Daniel asked, Korrina trying to put it into words but struggled immensely to say anything.

"That was… Like… I don't know how to even describe it, I don't even know where to begin!" Korrina stumbled on her words, slightly embarrassed because she was still in shock.

"That was incredible, it appears your bond with each other has won you the battle." Gurkin told Daniel and Bisharp.

"Y-yeah, It looks like you two fixed your bond and like that, you took my ace down. To say I am impressed is an understatement, I was blown away. Simple as that, and with that, I would like to present to you: the Fight Badge, as a sign that you defeated the Shalour gym. " Korrina presented the badge to Daniel who put it in his case and thanked her. She then put her hands out for both Bisharp and Daniel, indicating a handshake. The three of them shook hands, "Congratulations, you did an outstanding job here! You're definitely gonna make it far in the league like this."

"Thanks, not just for that but for helping me fix my bond with my best friend." Daniel thanked, Korrina scratched the back of her head and giggled.

"Well, it's the least I can do, and it's kinda my job too."

"Hmm, you might come across a great obstacle in the league." Gurkin interrupted, catching everyone's attention. "Word has it that the Unbeatable Champion, Samuel Barsony, is joining the league."

"Whoa, really?"

"That's what I've heard so far, so if that is true. You will have a VERY difficult time handling his infamous Deoxys."

Daniel and Bisharp removed their cheerful faces and got serious. "Yeah, I know about Samuel's Deoxys very well, we're prepared to battle him in the league." Daniel told them.

"Very well, I wish you the best of luck then."

"Thanks."

And like that, the guys all waved goodbye as they returned to the pokemon center to rest. Everyone congratulated and complemented Daniel and his Bisharp for their power.

"Well, if what said is true, then you're going to have a rough time in the league. He's definitely going to make it to the top. Have you seen his Deoxys strength? Your Bisharp's new form is pretty damn strong and all but it doesn't come close to Deoxys." Calem expressed his concern, sitting on the couch with the rest of the guys.

"Well, we'll just have to keep getting stronger and match his strength." Daniel stated, Calem made a "hmph" sound as he got up and stretched.

"Well man, it was nice meeting you but I gotta go. Got a friend to surprise!" Calem informed everyone, putting his hand out to handshake everyone. Everyone shook hands before Calem walked towards the door and turned to Daniel, "Good luck in the League man, you're gonna need it. Don't worry, I'll cheer you on!"

"Thanks again." Daniel said, and like that, Calem left.

"Well, looks like my theory was right, it was based off of your bond." Andres told Daniel, who turned to him and made a "mhm" sound.

"Bro, you pounded her ass if you know what I mean." Zach said, making very strange movements with his eyebrows while smiling uncomfortably. Everyone shook their head in tandem, not approving.

"Well, from the looks of it, you definitely got a chance against Typhlosion now, we'll just have to wait and see in the league. Sure, we're representing the Holy GADZ and we're a team and all. But eventually, we'll have to face down, and find out which of us two is the strongest after all."

"Huh, is that a challenge? You're on." Daniel shared a fist-bump with his rival.

"Don't forget about me, too!" George called, joining the other two.

"Y'all gay." Zach finished.

Time passed and the rest of the Holy GADZ finished their battles as well, George having to outsmart his opponent and utilize Lucario's speed who matched even Mega-Lucario. Typhlosion doesn't need an explanation. Afterwards, they all set off towards the next and final town to face the last gym and make their way to the pokemon league to achieve all of their goals.


	15. Chapter 15, Connections

The sky was of a bright blue color, the sun lit up everything in Kalos, only small remnants being blocked out by white clouds soaring above the sky. The plane landed, everyone bracing as the aircraft gently made contact with the runway, making a smooth transition into rolling across to a stop. The airbus maneuvered around the airport and parking in position. All passengers aboard the plane exited the vehicle, grabbing their luggage and enjoying the tidiness of the airport.

The man adjusted his hat, standing by the conveyor belt carrying luggage as he waited for his own. Once spotting his luggage, the man took ahold of it, leaving the massive building and entering into Lumiose City. The man looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun as it was especially bright today. The man smirked, not allowing the sun to overcome him, threw on his shades in response.

"Hello Kalos!" Samuel exclaimed, the man was wearing as stated before, a brown hat along with a pair of black shades. Accompanying this, Samuel wore green a collared shirt with a black bag hanging around his side strapped diagonally around his shoulder. Samuel also wore a light brown colored pair of shorts and finishing his attire was a set of black tennis shoes.

Samuel took a deep breath, getting a nice whiff of the fresh kalos air. He exhaled gently, smiling and looking around. The weather, the setting, everything about Kalos has put him in a good mood. Samuel looked around, wondering where he should go first, looking around at the curved streets, observing the countless pedestrians walking by, the cars passing along, the pokemon that trotted past. It then came to his mind that he should probably find a place to stay during his time in Kalos, so he marched over to the pokemon center (He didn't know where it was but he went with it). After exploring for quite a bit, he accidentally found himself within the market area of the city. This confused the young man as he had believed he was going the right way but stuck with it, opting to look around and check out the merch.

As he moved along, he noticed something which caught his eye, two men in white lab coats sat behind a small booth with a label that read "Team TECH" with various gadgets spread across and boxes stacked behind them. Samuel looked closely at one of the two men, stopping in his tracks to get a better look.

The other man that Samuel wasn't paying attention to was a man older than him, he had short black hair which was neatly kept. He also had a very short beard that was growing, not very noticeable upon first glance. Lastly, he had black pupils.

The man Samuel was paying attention to appeared to have a slightly tanned skin tone and black hair. Upon closer inspection, Samuel was able to identify he had messy, oily black hair. The man also had a short beard growing off his chin that curved inward. The only other thing Samuel could notice was the man's wrinkles and the brown pupils. Fortunately, this was enough for Samuel to confirm his suspicion.

"No way… Roloane…?" Samuel muttered under his breath, making his way towards the booth now.

The two men sitting behind their booth in which they set up detected someone approaching and both turned their attention that way.

"Dave." Roloane called in a warning manner, suspicious that a man with shades is headed their direction. Dave sat up straight, looking the incoming stranger up and down and not really seeing any bad intent so he calmed down. Once the man finally stopped in front of their booth, he looked down at the two of them, his mouth open agape slightly as he looked around their setup. "Hello there! May we interest you in our gadgets made to assist _special_ pokemon?"

Samuel raised his eyebrows, taken aback by the choice words that were thrown at him. Samuel shook his head, not interested with their products. "Is that you ?" Samuel begged, catching the older man off guard.

"I know you?" Roloane questioned, his eyebrows shifting in confusion, his partner sitting there and observing.

"Yeah, it's been ages, sir." Samuel answered, removing his shades to reveal his face in full. Roloane's jaw dropped, the man quick to get on his feet and slam his hands on the table.

"Samuel?!" Roloane shouted, everyone within the vicinity looked in their direction. Samuel somewhat scrunched up, lowering his hat slightly and putting a finger to his own lips.

"Shh, I'm trying not to get attention!" Samuel said quietly, Roloane took his hands off the table, apologizing to Samuel.

"It has been ages, hasn't it? How are you doing?" Roloane said, shaking hands with Samuel.

"Pretty well, sir."

"I was so worried after I heard what happened to your father and your home. Then afterwards, your family just disappeared."

"Yeah, after that whole incident, we were stranded, left to be homeless until a family took us under their care and saved us." Samuel informed, looking away, remembering those harsh times.

"It grieved me immensely, especially when the news of 's unfortunate demise reached the staff and the rest of Team TECH."

At that moment, Dave just pieced together which Samuel this was, he realized this was Samuel Barsony. "Wait! You're saying he's the directors son?" Dave sat back up straight after already relaxing back into his seat. Roloane turned to him, nodding but somewhat dismissing his partners question.

"After Director Barsony's demise, there were arguments about who would lead the company next. I attempted to elect myself, wanting to preserve 's dream but was denied however. The vote went to one of our other staff members who unfortunately did not see the same things, taking the company towards a money-making route instead of it's original. He started selling our products to the black market, weaponizing our products so they can be more "conventional". Dave and I revolted, arguing and going against the company but we were ousted, fired from our position and therefore, job. We managed to steal some of the unmodified parts and use them as blue-prints so we can continue creating and inventing more products to help poor pokemon."

Samuel processed the information, making a "hmm" sound, not really in thought but in acknowledgement. "Damn, sounds like we've both had it rough."

"Unfortunately, so as it stands, Dave and I are the only real remnants of the original Team TECH. But, enough about me, is your family all right?"

"Yeah, we're doing just fine, mom's got the job, i'm retired from my champion position and just working a casual job along with my mom."

"And the young one?"

"Oh, Daniel, he's been away on a journey, he's been on an adventure here in Kalos with his Bisharp. That's actually why i'm here too."

Roloane and Dave's jaws both dropped slightly hearing this, coming to a revelation.

"Wait a minute, didn't we help a Daniel with a Bisharp not that long ago?" Dave asked Roloane, Roloane thinking to himself and remembering the teenager.

"Yes, yes, we indeed did help Daniel. I can see it now, it makes sense. Wow, bless our souls, how did I not recognize him?" Roloane mocked himself a tad bit, chuckling at what he thought was his poor memory.

"You saw Daniel? Here?" Samuel questioned with excitement filling him up.

"Yes we saw him but not here, in a town further away. We helped his Bisharp by equipping him with some blades and they seemed to approve of our product. That's flattering knowing he, too, is the director's son."

"How is he?"

"Well, from what we saw, he was venturing with two friends." Dave answered. Samuel smiled, a new light in his eyes knowing that Daniel's not by himself and has friends accompanying him.

"That's great, well, I can't wait to challenge him in the league."

"You're participating in the Pokemon League?" Roloane inquired, surprised that Samuel still battles even though he's retired, then realized what he said was stupid.

"Yeah, haven't seen my little bro in a while so I figured why not battle him in a league so everyone can watch."

"Whoa, I've heard a lot about your Deoxys but haven't seen it in person! This is the chance of a lifetime, Roloane, we gotta watch the league if that's the case." Dave demanded enthusiastically, Roloane agreed with his partner once more, nodding and telling Samuel they'll definitely watch the league and cheer them on.

There was a small pause before an alarm rang off in the young man's head, reminding him he had business to attend to. "It's been great catching up guys, but I got stuff to do like signing up for the league so I gotta go. See ya guys later!" Samuel informed the two, putting his sunglasses on once more and walking away. Both parties waved goodbye to each other as Samuel walked off into the distance, attempting to locate the pokemon center.

After walking what seemed like an endless amount of hours, they reached the entrance to a massive cave. They were surrounded by trees all over and the only clearing was the pathway which lead right into the entrance of the cave. The sun was beginning to set and the crew was at a loss for options. Everyone had their pokemon out, not entirely sure whether to go in.

"What is this place?" George asked, attempting to look inside only to see nothing.

"It's a fucking cave you dumbass." Zach sassed, not paying attention and scrolling through his mobile device, checking out arceus know what. Andres was glued to his pokedex, desperately searching for an answer and making an "ah" sound when he found it.

"Okay, so we're heading the right way. This is apparently the 'Reflection Caves' and it has its name because the crystals are like mirrors, you can see your reflection." Andres answered, closing up his device and shoving it in his pocket.

"Huh, wonder if it acts like those special mirrors you'd see at the circus where the reflections are really funny and weird." Daniel wondered, stroking his chin in thought.

"Well, whatever the case is, we have to go in nonetheless. It's our bridge to get to the other side, no ifs ands or buts about it."

"Alright, then in we go!" George cheered, taking point and leading everyone inside. It was dark initially but the cave eventually lit up with light as they started making their way through a bright cavern with crystals all over the place. The cave itself was of a blue-ish color and and the crystals were more of a clear, white color, allowing to have its reflection. The crew experimented with the crystals, going up to each one and posing to see if anything different would happen. To their disappointment, it was not the case and it was just meager reflections. Zach grew disappointed with his lack of muscles and his incredibly slim body but said he was getting fat.

The Holy GADZ shook their head in disappointment, disagreeing. After messing around for several minutes, they decided to cut it out, continuing to journey down through the cave for several minutes until realizing the cave split off in two directions.

"Aw shit, which way do we go?!" Zach complained, too lazy to give a damn and just wants to go through one way and get out of there so he can utilize his mobile device. Everyone looked towards Andres, he raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"The hell you looking at me for? What do you think I am, a GPS?" Andres argued, everyone soon dropped their heads. Daniel, out of his peripheral vision, can notice a faint light. He lifted his head, looking towards source of the light, Daniel looked down the path of the left and the light was coming from something in the distance.

"Guys, you see that?" Daniel raised his question, pointing down the cave so everyone can look. The group looked up, no one else noticing it besides Bisharp.

"Yeah, I see that, what is it?" Bisharp asked, looking to his partner who shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

"I don't know."

"Are you guys trippin'? I don't see anything." Andres mocked, getting ready to decide they go right.

"Let's go left guys." Daniel and Bisharp made their way in that direction, everyone was about to question but didn't want to get separated so they caught up. As Daniel and Bisharp continued to walk down the path, the light did not get closer nor did it get any further, it remained within the same distance as they journeyed down. As they continued to walk the cave split off more and more and there was a significant amount of paths to go into. The light disappeared for the duo, and everyone was now stuck in this massive room with multiple paths.

"Look what you got us into Daniel, where are we supposed to go?" George complained, Daniel and Bisharp tried looking for the light but it was gone for good. Everyone looked around frantically before Andres said "fuck it" and marched off in one direction. "Wait!" George called, but Zach ignorantly walked off into a different direction, opting to keep going straight forward.

" _Hhheeeeeeerrrrrreeeeeee_ " A husky hum was heard by Daniel and Bisharp, they both whipped around 90 degrees to their left and somehow felt something down that way.

"Should we?" Daniel asked, Bisharp nodded, the two of them going down the path where they could feel the presence and where the sound originated from.

"Wait up!" George exclaimed, him and his Lucario chasing after their friends as to not stay separated like the other two. The four of them walked down, the trail twisting and turning around corners. They walked for a good ten minutes before reaching an impasse, a dead end. A wall of reflective crystal blocking the way. "Darn it, we reach a dead end!" George complained, turning around and stomping off but saw Daniel didn't budge from where he was standing.

Daniel stared straight forward, into a black, empty abyss and was hesitant to move forward with Bisharp. "Why is there an abyss in this cave?" Daniel questioned, looking around but almost in a daze.

"Dude, what are you talking about? It's just a wall!"

"No, I see a dark and empty abyss." Daniel argued, George sighing in disappointment. Daniel and Bisharp entered a daze, and felt an urge, a calling to step through. Out of their own will, they stepped through sticking one foot in first.

George freaked out, watching as Daniel and Bisharp's foot phased through the crystal wall.

"Whoa, what?! How are you doing that?" George walked up, pressing his hand against the crystal wall but did not phase through, only pressed against it. George looked to his other two friends to notice the two of them wearing blank expressions on their face as their other foot slipped through, both completely being absorbed by the wall and disappearing.

Daniel and Bisharp entered into the black abyss, they snapped out of their daze and realized they were falling endlessly now. Daniel began to scream but no sound was made. Daniel stopped, moving around as he fell, noticing light flash past him here and there. The two partners looked at each other, before looking downwards to where they were falling. At the bottom they can see something, an opening or in this case, the end of the fall. Daniel and Bisharp both spread their arms and legs outwards, mentally and physically preparing themselves to take the fall. Daniel squinted, not wanting to see his imminent impact.

A loud boom sound echoed around, Daniel opened his eyes and saw he was barely floating above the ground. The duo was dropped to the ground now as their descent had been slowed down.

"Oww." Daniel said out of instinct, even though it didn't hurt but floor was uncomfortable. Bisharp got up, helping his friend up onto his feet. "Where are we?" Daniel asked, looking around into a room with almost no light whatsoever.

"I don't know, but luckily, we didn't die yet." Bisharp stated, a disappointed look plastered on Daniel's face.

" _Yet…?_ "

"Well, we need to figure out a way to regroup with the others. This it getting out of hand."

"Yeah, you're right." Daniel looked around and noticed nothing. "GEORGE?! ANDRES?! ANYONE?!" Daniel shouted, putting his hands around his mouth to project his voice but his words merely echoed in the empty room.

After the echoes disappeared, a bright light shone from the center of the room, illuminating it. A massive rock formation sat in the middle of the room, ascending upwards towards the source of the light. Daniel and Bisharp covered their eyes from the light, both having the same idea to ascend the formation and see what is creating the light. They put their rock-climbing skills to the test, slowly but surely climbing upwards. When they were close to the top, the light died down immensely, now replaced with a dim blue light. They continued onwards, finally reaching the very top to discover the source of light.

In the center at the very top of the formation, sat a stone. The stone was shaped like a octahedral and the light emanated from the inner layers of the stone, shining between the two halves of the stone itself. One side of the octahedral was green and the other half, yellow. Daniel and Bisharp reached for the stone, grabbing ahold of it at the same time.

They entered into tunnel vision, everything around them changing to a white void which boomed from nowhere. Multiple colored lights spun around them repeatedly before spinning so much they were consumed in a dome of light within the void. The Stone was covered in the light, rising out of their hands. Images flashed before them, so many images appeared so fast, they couldn't process what they were seeing. The rate in which images appeared grew faster and faster to the point it was merely a blur. Cracks slowly formed within their vision until everything they saw shattered, revealing everything to be calm. Daniel and Bisharp were floating within a void of light, and they could only see each other.

Bisharp was in his new form, outlined in blue before an image of Serena appeared in front of Daniel. His eyes widened, and he heard the voice from earlier sound again, " _Honesty…_ ".

Bisharp looked at Daniel, his hair was spiked upwards and his pupils were pure red as he, too was outlined in blue. Bisharp, too heard the voice but he heard different, " _Trust…_ ".

They both slowly closed their eyes and the last thing they hear is, " _Create._ "

"Daniel! Daniel!" The cries were muffled, very muffled, but they were heard regardless. The teenager attempted to open his eyes, struggling to open them before moving them slightly and a ray of light pierced his vision, causing him to open his eyes fully. He squinted, attempting to get adjusted to the light to notice he was outside with his friends all around him.

"What the…" Daniel mumbled, getting up as if he had been asleep for a while. He looked around to notice Bisharp had gotten up to, scratching the back of his head. "What happened?"

"After you stepped through the wall, I went to go find Zach and Andres and we managed to regroup. I took them to where you disappeared, and when we got there, you and Bisharp were lying on the floor, unconscious." George explained to the trainer.

"My lucky ass was right and we found the exit, it was literally straight from where we were going so we took you out here where we tried to wake you up." Zach added, feeling proud of himself that he was the one who found the exit when he decided to take action, because Zach is a "man of action".

Andres stood nearby, very upset that he was defeated by Zach in their random competition of who would get out first. "Yeah, took us a good five minutes to wake you up."

"Man… my head hurts…" Daniel attempted to rub his head but ended up hitting it instead with an object. He was wide eyes as he observed what was in his hand, it was the stone from earlier.

"Yeah, you've been death gripping that thing the entire time, I don't even know how."

"Anyways, let's set up camp, it's night time already. So, what happened with you guys?" George inquired to the two, as everyone unpacked their stuff and began setting up at the entrance of the cave.

Daniel explained to them everything him and Bisharp saw and this left the guys speechless. Zach thought Daniel and his pokemon were drugged but that joke was dismissed quickly. Andres, using his detective skills, was able to deduce the stone has some connection to the Representative thing Olympia talked about. Though not quite sure what that connection is, they are related. With that piece of information in mind, they seemed content knowing they have some sort of answer. After quite a bit of chatting and talking, they decided to hit the hay and head off towards the next town.

" _Honesty…_ " Daniel thought to himself as he closed his eyes.

" _Trust…_ " Bisharp thought to himself as he closed his eyes.

The pokemon's green eyes shot open, revealing it's red pupils.

"It's time."

END


	16. Chapter 16, Realization

A bit of time has passed since the events within the cave. The Holy GADZ went onto the next gym where they effortlessly defeated their opponent and earned their gym badges. Nothing has been discovered about the strange stone that was discovered so it has mostly been discarded, left inside Daniel's backpack. Shortly after defeating the gym, Daniel received a call from a dear friend, Serena. She explained to him that she was getting ready to participate in the Master Class Performance, which is the highest level tournament/contest for pokemon performances. She explained where they were meeting up to do the performance which happened to be in Gloire City, and they had a couple days to get there. Daniel, wanting to support his crush, accepted the invite to watch and got permission from the rest of the team to watch.

And so, the Holy GADZ journeyed as fast as they could across Kalos to get there, using the fastest means of transportation whether it be train, taxi, or any form of transportation that beat walking. Fortunately for them, they were barely able to make it before the day of the performance. The crew made it by sunset, and they were exhausted. The Holy GADZ was slightly annoyed at their friend for having them hurry as fast as they possibly could to make it but according to him, it was "urgent".

Gloire City is yet again, another misnamed town but it is quite a spectacle nonetheless. The city is situated by a large body of water, and like any city with water, there are docks. The city is situated a couple dozen feet above sea level, placed on a large platform which essentially created a massive wall to block the water. To get up from the docks to the city, one must scale the multiple sets of stairs leading to the top. The buildings of the city weren't much, besides being fairly tall, of a pale color, and having either red or orange roofs. The city also had trees all over the place, giving it a nice contrast of colors between the buildings and the trees. The landmark of the city was the giant castle on top of a massive hill within the city. The castle was of the same textures as the rest of the town but with blue roofs, allowing for it to stand out.

"Hey guys, check it out, a castle!" George said excitedly, happy now that they're allowed to explore now that they've collected all of their gym badges needed to enter the league. The castle was of course, the first thing they all noticed. Daniel was readying to pull up his pokedex to check on Serena to see where she's at but was interrupted by a voice from nearby. They looked towards where they heard the voice to see it was Lucas.

"Oh? Lucas?" Daniel called out, the boy excitedly walking over towards them. Daniel raised his fist towards Lucas who understood and returned a fist-bump. Daniel smirked, putting his hands on his side. "Well isn't this a surprise, how you doing bud?"

"I'm doing great! I was getting ready to leave the city until I saw you and thought I'd say hi!" Lucas answered, waving to the rest of the group.

Zach leaned close to george, eyeing down Lucas suspiciously. "Who's the kid?" Zach questioned, a bit more annoyed because he doesn't want to put up with any little kids. He has little tolerance for them besides his own little brother. George looked at Zach, puzzled by his strangle look.

"He's Daniel's student." George answered, kinda whispering while looking back.

"The fuck, since when was Daniel a teacher?" Zach argued, George only raising his shoulders not really knowing when.

Daniel heard the conversation but chose to ignore it, returning his attention to his pupil. "So, what brings you here?"

"I was just passing through and making my way to the next gym." The boy answered, noticing Daniel was wearing a different hoodie now.

"Oh, so not for the master class performance?"

"Master Class performance? No, I would like to focus on getting ready for the league. Is that why you're here?"

"Yeah, came here to watch a friend."

"A 'friend'." Zach mocked intensely, Daniel whipping around to reveal his displeased look.

"Oh, cool! So you came to support her? Does that mean you like her?" Lucas asked.

This caught Daniel off guard, causing his whole body to twitch out of nowhere and leaving him wide-eyed and nervous. Andres, George, and Zach stood there for several seconds before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. Lucas stood there, very confused and began to wonder if he said something wrong. Daniel grew irritated very quickly, his eyes closed as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

"You don't have to like someone to support them." Daniel growled under his breath, Zach laughing even harder and began to cry because of it.

"But why would you support something you don't like?" lucas asked, three times more confused than he was before.

"No, like, you can support someone because you like them, you don't have to like-like them to be supportive."

"Oh, but that's what I was asking."

"Oh, then yes…"

Everyone's laughter died down, the guys catching their breath from the laughing but Lucas was still confused about why they laughed at his question but ignored it. After settling down, Lucas decided he would tag along with the group and catch up with his teacher. Daniel finally got around to asking his crush where she was at and found out she was at the Pokemon Center. He was disappointed, thinking to himself that it was a no-brainer. And so, the guys made there way there, Lucas helping them get there because he already went earlier. Once getting to the pokemon center, the sliding doors of the building opened to reveal Serena waiting there with a smile on her face.

"Surprise!" Serena said, pulling her dear friend into a hug. Daniel was shocked by the hug, still not used to them but made sure he hugged back because it was nice.

" _Aww._ " George thought to himself. Daniel and Serena eventually separating themselves.

"I'm glad you guys were able to make it!"

"Yeah, we hurried as fast as we could." Daniel informed her, getting a sassy remark from Zach.

"Thanks a lot." Zach sassed, Daniel chuckled out of embarrassment, Serena giggled and found it a bit cute, his reaction.

"So, you managed to get three princess keys?"

"Yeah, thank you again for before, what you told me really helped cheer me up. I learned from my mistakes and got better." Serena thanked, giving him a warm smile.

"Well, that's good. Can't wait to see how you've improved tomorrow."

"Thanks, i'll do my best!"

All six of them went inside to talk as the street lights now turned on and the sun was barely there anymore. As everyone walked inside, Zach eyeballed serena like usual, looking mainly at her lower region and licking his lips upon seeing her legs. Andres could see this out of his peripheral vision, closing his eyes angrily as that was disgusting to see. Andres still didn't like Zach and has yet to get used to him.

Everyone got their rooms, settled in, and relaxed. Serena and her group got one room while daniel and the others got their own, much to Zach's disappointment. The moon quickly revealed itself and everyone decided to hit the hay except for a certain individual. It was around 2 AM when Daniel woke up with the urge to use the bathroom. He got up out of bed, lazily walking out of the room and towards the bathroom. Upon arriving, he grabbed a hold of the door handle but before he could move it, he heard noise from beyond the door.

" _Huh…?_ " Daniel thought to himself, slowly pressing his ear against the door to hear what the sound was. He could hear nostrils flaring from the other side and a quiet repeating slapping sound. " _What the hell?_ Is someone there?" Daniel called out, his eyes getting adjusted to the darkness now.

"Uhh… yeah…?" Zach quietly called out, in a nervous tone.

"You using the bathroom?"

"Umm… yeah…"

"Ah, umm… sounds like you're having a hard time there."

"Yeah… uhh… constipation…"

"O-kay then… well, you almost done?"

"Yeah, just give me a bit."

"Alright, lemme know when you're done."

"Okay." Zach finished, Daniel walking away and back to the room to wait.

Zach was sweating bullets as he decided to put away his phone and finish up.

Later in the morning…

"What'd you eat yesterday Zach that gave you problems?" Daniel started off when he saw Zach. Zach choked up, not sure what to say.

"I… uhh… think… it was… my lack of fruit?" Zach said, pulling the answer out of nowhere.

"Ah, that could explain why."

"Yeah bruh, wish I had some… cookies…"

"What? But that's not healthy."

"Well I want cookies." Zach demanded, thinking of something else but actual cookies would be very much appreciated.

Everyone gathered their stuff and walked towards the castle which is where the performances would be held.

(Authors Note: This next part of the chapter is skippable. Being frank, this is a retelling of the anime and nothing else has changed, so if you wish to watch the anime or have already seen the anime, you may skip until the next row of X's. Just leaving this here just so this next section doesn't seem redundant to the anime-watchers.)

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The entrance of the castle was very grandiose, a red carpet that led to multiple entrances within the castle. The castle itself was surrounded and blocked off by a metallic fenced wall surrounding it's entire perimeter. Behind the wall and in the castle, was bushes also outlining the property. In the center of the entrance, there was a large fountain surrounded by bushes and the red carpet. Hundreds of people were there, making their way inside and plenty of news vehicles were nearby. Upon closer inspection of the castle, the castle was also of a gold colors but only for the patterns on the pale walls. Fireworks were going off in celebration of the event and News reporters were doing their job and explaining the events to whoever's watching.

Everyone entered the building, Serena having to split off from the rest of the group to get ready. Serena was in her performance costume, same one from the first time with nothing different. Standing with her in the waiting room was her Fennekin which was now a Braixen, Pancham, and a Sylveon. Each of them were decorated similarly to their trainer.

The waiting room consisted of a wall of mirrors with seats in front of them for performers to apply whatever they want with precision. There was a red carpet going to the room and into the next. The walls were of a bright blue color and the floor was light brown.

"Yeah, that's perfect!" Serena thought out loud, touching up on her pokemon's decorations. "Hey, Braixen." Serena called to her partner, who understood what she wanted and turned around to reveal it's tail with it's magical stick stuck inside. Serena pulled out the stick, looking to each of her pokemon now, "This is the last event, no second chances. Let's channel all we've got into this." Serena referred to the stick, her partners nodding in agreement as she crouched down and held the stick out towards them. Her pokemon each put their paws/hands onto the tip of the stick to indicate they were in this together. "One, two…" They all raised their arms into the air as serena shouted, "Yeah!". Her nearby rivals watched in amazement, thinking to themselves as they praised her and her pokemon's teamwork.

To say the performance room is gigantic would be an understatement. It was enormous, not much could be seen because it was a dark besides a few beam of light going across the room for special effect. Everyone sat together, anticipating Serena's performances and readying to cheer her on. There must have been hundreds, maybe thousands of people in their seats ready and hyped for the event.

The beams of light disappeared as spot lights turned on, all adjusting and moving towards one point. The lights revealed a door that opened up to reveal Monsieur Pierre, the host.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Pierre called out, now going down a set of crimson stairs, "It's been a long wait, but this moment has finally arrived." He finished going down the stairs, the spotlights followed him intently. He then began to make his way towards the center of the stage which was shaped like a heart. "The Gloire Master Class Tournament… will now begin!" a volley of fireworks were shot up into the air, exploding and partially lighting up the room. Everyone in the room began to cheer in excitement. Pierre introduced himself and then the performers, pointing towards the upper floor as spotlights were now aimed at the upper floor. Little booths all rose from the ground, one by one making an appearance. Pierre began to instruct the performers inside on how to open the booths and reveal themselves, by having them open the booth with the princess keys they've acquired.

Serena did as instructed, taking her first key and putting it in, remembering her flop the first time but her redemption the second time. And so went on like this, putting each key and remembering what they were associated with, her mistakes and her success. " _I'll become Kalos Queen, no matter what!"_ The door opened, Serena stepped out with her pokemon behind her. All around her were competing performers with the same idea as Serena. Everyone applauded for the performers, the entire stage being lit up now as the performers made their way down and lined up horizontally across the stage.

The stage, like stated before, was shaped like a heart, gold on the outside and white on the inside. There were trinkets, lights, and plenty of fancy furniture to be seen around the stage tin the back.

"All right, let me introduce today's special guest!" Pierre announced, indicating to the very top in the back of the room. A spotlight revealed a person standing on a platform, observing what's down below. "She is a former Kalos Queen and a legendary manager who has produced numerous performers. Palermo!"

A massive screen on one of the walls revealed the woman in full. She was old, she had short, gray curly hair with one massive tuft of hair curling inwards hanging over her head. She had blue eyes and wore a black coat with a red scarf. Lastly, she had red lipstick on and yellow earrings. That's all the screen showed of the former queen.

"She is attending as a special judge."

"Today, I'm looking forward to your wonderful performances. Please do your best." Palermo finished, topping it off with a bow.

"Palermo, thank you very much. All Right. First off, let's have the Kalos Queen make her appearance. The Kalos Queen, Performer Aria!" Pierre pointed to the upper door as it opened to reveal the Queen.

She is a woman with pink-colored hair in a strawberry shade, and scarlet eyes. She wears a slightly pink lipstick and a nearly visible mascara. She wore a crown and her performance outfit consisted of a white dress with gold trimming and blue ribbons. Lastly, she wore white gloves that reached up to her elbows. Next to her was a decorated Delphox that was decorated like her trainer. The queen made her way down the staircase towards the stage, her mere presence shook the room as everyone roared in cheers. She stepped to the very front of the arena, standing as the center of attention.

"Hello, everyone!" Aria said, everyone cheered once more. She turned around to the performers, "And… hello to all performers. We stand on this stage together, and you deserve my profound respect for that. Let's fight fair and square for the title of Kalos Queen!" She turned back to the audience to say a few more words. "Everyone in the audience, all those of you watching on TV; please enjoy yourselves to the fullest!

"Thank you for the lovely speech, Aria. Well then, I will now explain the rules." Pierre announced. The rules were that the Master Class only consisted of free performances which were performances that required straight creativity and teamwork between trainer and pokemon. The challengers will participate like it was a tournament, with brackets and such. Pierre snapped, a hologram of the line-up appeared above him for all to see. The first two rounds, the performers will use only one pokemon, semi-finals and beyond will be two pokemon. The finals will be Aria versus whoever wins the semi-finals.

All the performers were dismissed, allowed to prepare and take a break as they awaited their turns.

Samuel crashed into his bed, groaning as he rolled on his back, very bored. He pulled up a remote and turned on the TV to see what was good. The first channel wasn't much, some nature channel about bidoofs.

"Next." he said. It was now a channel about whether a child belonged to a family or not. "What the hell, next." Then, he was on a peculiar one. He sat up straight and it was a news anchor telling about a Master Class tournament. "What the… a tournament?" Samuel watched, listening to the anchor as the many shots and views within the stage were shown. "Interesting…"

A bit of time passed, the first round finished and one of the three performers proceeded to the next round. It was very interesting to watch to say the least, first time Daniel and the crew had seen anything like it before. Shortly after, the second round was over, winner made it to the next round. Serena finally made an appearance on the fourth round. She and two others were raised up onto the stage via a platform with their pokemon.

"All right, start!" Pierre started the round.

The spotlight went to one of the other performers first. Her pokemon used cotton spore, creating a small cloud that spun around them as it ascended in the air. Chunks of it descended slowly like snow as the trainer and her pokemon both played with the chunks. They took one and played around with it, tossing it back and forth in various ways as they danced around in a circle. The pokemon used Fairy Wind, blasting a massive gust of fairy wind towards the audience, creating light sparkles all over the room for added effect.

Her Performance was now finished, and it was Serena's turn.

"Let's go, Braixen! Flamethrower!" Serena commanded, Braixen taking out its magical wand. Serena grabbed ahold of it as well as they moved in a circle before tossing the stick high into the air, creating a spiral of flames. The flames somewhat exploded, creating a bright orange glittery light. Serena and her partner danced in a circle and finished their performance.

Soon, it was time for them to finish, the lights were focused on all of them now as one used Ice beam, the other used fairy wind, and braixen used fire blast. The blast was shaped like a massive star of fire, and exploded. The performances were over and it was time to judge their performances. Everyone voted like before with the glowing rods and pressed the corresponding color to their preferred performer. Everyone in Ash and Daniel's groups voted for Serena. The stream of lights went towards the holographic meters above the performers. Most filled would be the winner. Once all the votes were in, Serena was decided the winner to advance to the next round. Serena and her Braixen hugged in joy, so excited and happy for their victory.

Serena proceeded to win her next couple matches, winning her next one, the Semi-finals proved to be her most difficult match, as her competing performers pulled off their stunts. When it was her turn she pulled out her moves, using Pancham and Sylveon this time and all went well until the last bit of the performance.

As Serena fell slowly descended to the ground because of Fairy Wind, she attempted a handstand with one hand but lost balance and began to fall forward. Sylveon caught this and used her body to help make it look like Serena was performing a flip instead. Serena slid across the floor slightly before stating, "finish!". Everyone in the audience cheered, the girl thanked her pokemon who was nervous about the fact they almost messed up.

It was now time to vote, everyone inputted who they thought did the best. The lights were all turned off as the votes finished coming in, there was a silence as Pierre hyped up who was about to be the winner. The spot light turned on, revealing the winner of the semi finals to be Serena.

Serena covered her mouth in shock, tears swelling up in her eyes as she pulled both her partners into a hug and thanking them both. Daniel cheered for Serena as loud as he can, the guys getting a good laugh out of his enthusiasm for his crush. One of her rivals which was her friend, Shauna congratulates serena, before crying and hugging her rival, asking Serena to carry on her dreams of being Kalos Queen for her.

Serena was later escorted into a special waiting room by herself and with her pokemon. She took a seat, taking off her left glove to reveal her wrist seriously injured due to the failed handstand. Her pokemon expressed their concern but she tried to brush it off to cheer them. They soon heard a knock at the door, the girl immediately hiding her hands so the injury can't be seen. "Uh, please come in." Serena granted, the door was opened by Palermo. The ex-queen walked over, looking at Serena with a stern expression.

"Show me." She said, knowing full well Serena isn't in the best condition, "I mean your injury." She specified.

This shocked Serena, tempting her to ask, "How did you…?" but she was cut off with Palermo's explanation.

"I can tell from your movements." Palermo took Serena's hand, examining and and pushing on her fingers to attempt to make a fist. "You can barely make a fist." Palermo pushed a tad bit, causing Serena to squirm in pain. Palermo looked into Serena's eyes and told her, "Withdraw from the finals. You won't be able to put on a decent performance like this, much less win against Aria."

The words devastated Serena, but she couldn't bring herself to take the suggestion. "It's my… it's our dream. I had nothing, but then I finally… found this dream together with my pokemon. Now that we've made it this far, I don't want to give up till the end!"

Palermo's eyes widened as she remembered a young Aria saying the same words, I don't want to give up till the end. Palermo got up, sighing, "Geez, will the similarities ever end…?" Palermo walked over to a desk in the room to grab something. "One performance only. I'll make sure it hold for that." Palermo pulled up sports tape to help keep her wrist in tact. "Once it's over, let a doctor examine you." Serena thanked the former queen for her generosity.

The wait was over and it was time for the final round. Pierre revealed himself as he began to announce the start of the finals. "The tres bien moment in which two performers will fight for the glory of being Kalos Queen is finally here. Both can use as many pokemon as they like… and will perform at their absolute best! Competing in the finals will be…" A spotlight revealed Serena and all her pokemon on one side of the room at the top of a staircase. "Challenger Serena, as well as the current Queen, Performer Aria" The spotlight revealed Aria on the other half with her pokemon as well.

Both challengers looked at each other, Serena was very nervous about the upcoming challenge.

"Which of these two will become Queen? We begin with Challenger Serena's performance!" Pierre started, Serena made her way down the stairs to the center of the stage. Everyone cheering her on were as nervous as she was because this was it, no second chances.

The lights turned on meaning it was time to perform. Serena and her pokemon adjusted their outfits so they were more comfortable before going into a dance. Braixen spun around, Pancham did back handsprings to the edge of the arena. Pancham jumped up into the air, firing a dark pulse towards Braixen while the fire pokemon fired a flamethrower towards the dark pulse. The blasts made contact, creating a ball of light where the hits connected. Sylveon used Swift and fired the stars into the orb of light, causing it to morph and change and burst into shiny dust. Braixen ran around, drawing a half-circle of fire with its wand before tossing the object to Serena. Serena spun the stick around, finishing the circle of fire. Sylveon used fairy wind to raise the fire upwards slightly and cause it to spin continuously. Serena and her pokemon danced as Pancham jumped outside the ring, punching the ground and using Stone edge to put out the flames. Multiple blue pillar appeared from within the ground enclosing them. Sylveon jumped on the pillars, ascending to the tallest one and leaping into the air and using Fairy Wind to pick the rest of her team up. All of them float in the air, Pancham used dark pulse, Sylveon Swift, and Braixen flamethrower at one point. Their moves created a multi-colored orb within the air as it bloomed like a flower. Serena and her pokemon were on the ground, dancing as the remnant of the flower descended upon them. Serena completed her performance, announcing "finish!" to the audience.

It was Aria's turn, she took Serena's place along with her pokemon. Her Delphox used mystical fire, her Vivillon used Psybeam. Delphox created a spiral of flames shooting in the air before general a blast of fire going through the center. Vivillon fired psybeam at the incoming blast, creating a vortex of light. Her Aromatisse used reflect, creating several circles within the ground which bounced Aria upwards. Vivillon picked her up, latching onto her back and acted like a set of wings.

Aria performed, amazing everyone with her professional skills and performance. Serena stood there, watching the queen in action and was genuinely surprised herself. " _Aria's performance… and Aria's smile gives everyone strength. I'm… always on the receiving end…_ "

When she was done thinking to herself, Aria had finished her performance and the room erupted into cheers and clapping. Serena and the queen got into formation as they awaited Pierre.

"All right, both maidens have finished their beautiful and exciting performances. Everyone, please choose the Kalos Queen with your vote. Are you ready?" Pierre counted down, before the votes rushed in like it was workers during rush hour. When the votes were casted, the lights turned off, drum rolls were played, and the spotlight swaying between Aria and Serena. "The glorious Kalos Queen is… Performer Aria! She has defended her title of Queen!"

"Dammit!" Daniel yelled but it was overshadowed with everyone else's cheering.

"For her brilliant victory, Aria will be presented with the title of Kalos Queen… as well as this crown!" Pierre's pokemon brought the Queen's crown over, placing it on her head. Aria smiled, walking over to Serena to shake hands with her. Upon shaking hands, Aria requested they perform together sometime in the future. "With that, the Master Class comes to a close. Who will be the next to challenge Kalos Queen Aria? Let's meet again at this exciting and beautiful stage someday. Au revoir!"

Serena was returned to the special waiting room where she was tended to by a doctor. Once the doctor left, Palermo entered the room to check on Serena. "Don't ever be so reckless again. If you really want to defeat Aria, that is."

"You're right. As you said, Palermo, I wasn't able to win against Aria. When I watched Aria's performance earlier, I think I realized… what Aria has and I don't. I'm inexperienced… And I get saved by my friends and Pokemon all the time. But Aria… makes people smile and… gave advice to me, who was a complete stranger to her at the time. She's a person who can give. Until now, I've done nothing but receive from others, but… I want to become Queen and give something back to people out there. I want to give them strength, make them smile, give them advice and sometimes scold them. That's why I need to work much harder still… In order to become a good Queen." Serena spoke, explaining what she has to do and what she wants. This caused Palermo to smile, seeing that Serena did improve after all.

"As long as you understand that, you can become a good performer. Will you come with me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I will teach you everything… about being a performer. You don't need to answer right away, so think it through carefully before deciding." Palermo told Serena, walking out of the room, leaving Serena with her pokemon.

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It was sunset already, and everyone regrouped outside. Serena was talking with her rivals while the Holy GADZ sort of hovered nearby. Daniel had been quiet since the announcement of the winner, he wasn't sad, but he was just in deep thought, thinking to himself the entire time.

"Bro, that was hot, nothing but girls all over. Mmm, sure would like to be in a room with all of them." Zach commented, getting a negative reaction out of the rest of the group.

"Man, she got so close too, but Aria was better." George stated, Andres didn't really give a damn this time around, sure it was impressive but it wasn't quite his taste.

Serena waved goodbye to her rivals after finishing their conversations. Ash and his group joined with Daniels and they all started to head back to the Pokemon Center.

"That was really cool to watch, congratulations !" Lucas congratulated as they all walked back, the girl thanking Lucas. " cheered for you a lot, I didn't think I could see him like that before."

Everyone looked at Daniel who blushed out of embarrassment. "Yeah… gotta support a friend, y'know…" Serena thought it was strange Daniel would be the one standing out in the group when it came to cheering. What was also strange was the blushing but she can somewhat understand the embarrassment of being put in the spotlight.

"Right, gotta support who you like."

Daniel's face morphed and scrunched up, knowing what Lucas means but it sounds worse to someone else who doesn't.

"Yeah…"

Serena raised her eyebrows a tad bit, not sure what Lucas means by that and just opted to think about it later.

"Anyways, I have to go , I still have to catch up with you and the Holy GAD, so I'll be seeing you in the Pokemon League!" Lucas told them, Daniel and Lucas shook hands and fist-bumped.

"Looking forward to it, good luck bud." Daniel agreed, him and everyone else waving goodbye to the young boy as he walked out of view. They all made it to the Pokemon Center, the guys went up into their rooms to do something real quick while Ash and gang stayed downstairs. There, they were greeted by Serena's mother, who was at the performance and cheered Serena on.

"In the finals, I went for broke and ended up breaking." Serena informed her mother who wasn't upset at all.

"You gave it your all, so it's fine. As long as you start running toward your next destination." said to Serena, the mother and daughter smiling at each other.

Daniel was going down the stairs when he saw in front of Serena and grew wide-eyed. "Holy crap…! Ms Ferris?!" Daniel sped walk up to the group, giving him a very confused look.

"Umm… hello?" said to Daniel, not recognizing the young man whatsoever. Serena laughed, realizing this is the first time she's seen Daniel in years.

"Mom, this is Daniel, Daniel Barsony." Serena re-introduced to her mother. face widened and lit up upon realizing this.

"No way…! Is this true?" asked, looking Daniel up and down.

"It's me ma'am. Same one from Kanto all those years ago, also, May said hi." Daniel informed, smirking.

"It really is you! Get over here." Grace pulled him into a hug as well, back in the day, acted like a second mother to Daniel so that's why. She pushed herself from the hug, admiring how much Daniel's grown. "Look at you! All handsome and grown up, I wouldn't never recognized you unless you said anything."

"Yeah, I've definitely changed."

"Oh, how's your family? Are they all right?"

"Yeah, Samuel should be in Kalos by now because him and I are gonna be participating in the league.

"That's great! It'll be like a family reunion! Please tell me your mothers coming too?"

"No, unfortunately, she's at home with the job. She doesn't really like leaving the house empty or dirty."

"That's a shame, but say, how did you regroup with Serena? I saw her before but you weren't with her before."

"We met right after I entered Kalos, and we've had meetups here and there."

"Ah, speaking of which…" leaned close to Daniel's ear, "Do you still like her?" She whispered, she was the first to know of Daniel's secret.

"Umm… yeah…"

"Oh, that's great, you should ask her out." teased, Daniel blushing and puffing his cheeks to display his disapproval of the suggestion. chuckled, getting a good laugh out of his embarrassment. Unfortunately, she had to go and said her goodbyes to the group as she returned home.

Soon, night was upon them, Daniel was sitting outside on a bench, thinking to himself once more and his concern only grew the more he thought about it. He noticed Serena step outside with her pokemon, she was in her pajamas which consisted of a lavender hoodie with pink heart insignias on the hips with dark pink short along with a pink bow on her head. She didn't notice Daniel and just walked up to the edge of the staircase to take a seat and stare off into the distance.

" _Oh boy, hopefully she's not upset again…_ " Daniel thought to himself, getting up and walking to check up on her. Serena heard footsteps, looking behind her to see Daniel go to the edge of the stairs to take a seat next to her.

"Oh, hey Daniel." Serena said, Daniel saying hi back but got straight to the point.

"What's up? Something's wrong?"

"No, it's just… I have a lot on my mind right now, but I'll figure it out. I am worried about you though, you've been kinda quiet since I lost, upset?" Serena begged, Daniel sighed, looking towards the moon and remembering what he had been thinking about.

"It's just… your defeat kinda gave me some insight."

"On what?"

"It made me realize that I could very well lose the pokemon league. I could be doing all this work for nothing. I could just be wasting my time and I might never defeat Samuel, all these years of hard work just out the window."

Serena looked at her friend, blinking and processing what he said. Daniel chuckled to himself, realizing this wasn't really appropriate.

"Sorry, this is juvenile, me talking about defeat when you're the one who lost over here… sorry."

"No, no, it's alright. I truly understand how you felt. I felt the same before I went on stage to compete against Aria."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was confident but I was nervous too because this was the test of all i've learned thus far. And when I lost, I learned a lot just like you told me. But there's one thing you have to keep in mind, nothing's ever a waste of time, the important thing is that you give it your all. I'll cheer you on no matter what and will still have the utmost respect for you. Even if you do lose, you should be proud that you gave it your all, and maybe that can earn you the respect you've wanted, right?"

"Yeah… you're right, Thanks Serena." Daniel thanked, Serena smiled before returning to her thoughts, they sat there for a couple minutes before Serena got reminded of something. She had a thought, a theory about Daniel, she wondered if Daniel had feelings for her. She only assumed such because he's always the most supportive of her, risked his life to save her, and has made strange reactions when his name was brought up with hers. She looked to Daniel who looked back at her and smiled.

"Daniel… do… do you like me?" Serena asked, Daniel twitched, his eyes wide and just blinking. He could feel himself getting very warm as he looked away and tried find some excuse to not make eye contact.

"Umm… what… makes you say that?" Daniel asked, randomly scratching his back as an excuse to not look.

"I was just curious, It's something I kind of thought about."

"I see…"

"Well… do you?"

Daniel dropped the bullshit, sighing and turning to her and putting on a serious expression. "Serena, you're my closest friend, my best even. Of course I'm supportive because you've helped support me and help me out. What I do is just small and miniscule in an attempt to help repay the debt I owe you. You saved not just my life, but my whole family. So if that's anything Serena, that's my answer." Daniel sat there, feeling himself get tired and wanting to go to bed. "Well, I'm getting tired so I might hit the hay… see you tomorrow." Daniel told her, getting up and yawning as he walked back inside. " _I'm not ready, not now…_ ", he thought to himself

"Daniel!" She called, whipping around before it was too late. Daniel stopped, looking at her. "Thank you." Daniel smiled, going inside the Pokemon Center to go to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17, Preperation

After having watched Serena's final performance, they discovered the Pokemon League would be held in Lumiose City. They had a bit of time before it started so in an effort to save time, they travelled as fast as they could back to Lumiose City. The Holy GADZ arrived in the afternoon, ready to take a break and head to the Pokemon Center. Lumiose City was more full than it usually was, most likely due to the announcement of the Pokemon League. Families and fellow trainers were all around them, going about their business and kicking back before the upcoming event. They decided to head to the Pokemon Center first thing so they can drop off everything and relax before deciding as a group what to do next.

Upon entering the Pokemon Center, their attention was immediately grabbed by Nurse Joy. The nurse told them, or more specifically, Daniel, that he had received a message and that he should check it out. The team grew curious, urging Daniel to check it out. Daniel went to one of the booths in the Pokemon Center to find out he did, in fact, receive a message, a video message. He opened it up and was greeted to the view of Samuel sitting down.

"Samuel?" Daniel called in confusion, wondering why his brother would have left a message for him.

"Look behind you." Samuel said in the video, pointing towards the camera. Following this, the group could hear someone clearing their throat. The group turned around to the origin of the sound, Daniel was greeted to a arm being wrapped around him as a pair of knuckles rubbed repeatedly against his head.

Daniel winced in slight pain, trying to push the arm away and break free from the hold. "Gah! What the hell!" he exclaimed, the grip loosening and the teen broke free to whip around. Behind him was his brother, Samuel, chuckling at Daniel's reaction. Daniel's face lit up, his mouth dropping in awe, and a light reflected on his eyes.

"It's been a while, bro." Samuel smiled, his hands on his hips, Daniel held back the urge to cry as he hugged his brother tightly. The elder brother wrapped his arms around his younger sibling, Zach and the other two watched, not wanting to say anything to ruin the moment.

They seperated, the two to of them tapping their own hearts with their fists, then bringing their arms up where their wrists made contact. They pulled back their fists before pushing it forward where they collided into a fist-bump.

"You remembered."

Daniel looked up, smirking and assuring his brother, "Of course I remember, I haven't been gone that long.". Samuel's eyebrow twitched as he went into a mini fit, rubbing his knuckles against Daniel's head repeatedly again but a bit more rougher.

"The hell do you mean 'I haven't been gone that long'?! You've been gone for a couple years! Then you have the audacity to go up and pretend it's only been a couple days?! The nerve of you!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I fucked up!" Daniel cried out, trying to get him to stop and grew increasingly embarrassed in front of the guys.

"Damn right you fucked up! What the hell were you thinking?!" Samuel argued, stopping his little assault. Daniel looked at the ground in shame, it was beyond a childish and immature act to leave the house unannounced, no amount of excuses could change that. Samuel sighed, realizing he was giving his little brother a hard time, "Then again… I was the one who pushed you to it unintentionally and it led to this… sorry…"

"It's alright…" Daniel forgave, a silence was sinking in and Zach decided to burst the bubble.

"Umm… guys, who the fuck is this?" Zach asked out loud, Samuel let go of his brother, looking at Zach and the other two.

" _Daniel has three friends? Even better!_ " Samuel bursted out laughing at Zach's comment, "Oh boy, Daniel, you didn't even tell them about me? I'm hurt!" Samuel put his hand out towards Zach, indicating a handshake. "I'm Daniel's older brother, Samuel Barsony."

"Cool, I'm Zach." Zach introduced, returning the handshake.

"I can't believe the Unbeatable Champion is right in front of us." Andres said, stunned about the fact that Samuel made an appearance.

"Ah, so you guys do know me." Samuel joked, turning to Andres to give a handshake to him. Andres introduced himself and George as well.

After the introductions were over with, Samuel explained to them all he would be participating in the Pokemon League with the rest of them. He was allowed to join without having to collect all the gym badges but he did have to make a deal which he didn't want to tell the guys. The Holy GADZ unpacked their stuff and they all had lunch together with Samuel. After eating lunch, Andres called for an important meeting.

Andres informed the crew that they had only a couple days until the start of the Pokemon League. With the confirmation of Samuel participating in the league, they needed to step up their game if they want to survive and make it through. He declared that they would spend the next couple days doing non-stop training to improve themselves and get stronger. Everyone was in agreement, Samuel merely watched and observed, making mental notes about Daniel's friends. Once the Holy GADZ were in agreement, they decided they would get to training right away.

They decided they were going to train in an open place outside the city, so they followed one of the routes outside the city and then strayed off and found a nice open area within the forest. Zach pulled out his phone and sat against a tree as he played a mobile game on his device. Samuel sat against another tree as he watched Daniel, George, and Andres form a circle in the area.

"Allright, before we can train, we need to figure out where we stand right now. We need to look at our strengths and abilities first so we can improve upon any weakness. Let's start with you, Daniel, though you and Bisharp have learned to use this evolution/transformation, I'm not quite sure you can tap into it at will, can you?" Andres informed, looking to Daniel who agreed with his comrade.

"I'll give it a try real quick." Daniel told him, pulling out Bisharp and told him they were going to attempt to make the evolution happen. They closed their eyes as they took in a deep breath. " _We must be the same…_ " Daniel furrowed his brows, attempting to concentrate but not really sure what he's doing. Bisharp felt much the same way, but felt something different.

A gentle gust of wind surrounded Bisharp as it caused the grass to blow against the wind. The wind picked up speed as it soon engulfed the pokemon in a shell of wind.

"Are they doing it?" George quired, observing, Samuel watched in awe as this was something he hasn't seen before.

Unfortunately, the shell of wind broke, revealing a normal Bisharp as both partners exhaled and panted, already sweating. "Dammit, no good." Daniel cursed, looking to his partner who appeared very disappointed.

"Hmm, just as I thought, one can't feel the exact same way someone else does, it would take an extreme amount of focus. Considering this is probably your trump card, you'll need to nail this down before the League… Alright, George, take out Lucario." Andres commented, George doing as told. Lucario was caught up to speed as Andres looked the fighting pokemon up and down. Andres remembered George can't mega-evolve his pokemon because they couldn't find the stones needed. "George, I want Lucario to run across the diameter of this entire area."

This confused George but he didn't question, Lucario went to one end and waited for the green light. George told him to go, and Lucario bolted. The pokemon gradually gained speed and made it across the area in record time.

"Impressive alright, but it's not gonna be enough. Considering your lack of 'power ups' if you will, and our high probability of going against mega-evolution pokemon during the league. You're going to have to keep up." Andres told George, remembering it was his turn. He took out his Typhlosion which caught Samuel off guard as he was still observing. Typhlosion, too, was caught up to speed and was requested by Andres to shoot a small fireball into the sky. Typhlosion lifted his head up, looking to the clouds and built up fire in his mouth. Sure enough, a ball of fire formed and it was slowly being compressed. Upon shrinking a bit, the ball of flame burst open, exploding and knocking everyone away.

"Typhlosion's gonna have to work on flame control." George advised Andres who agreed. Andres turned to them all now, brainstorming ideas.

"Okay, George, considering your Lucario is very speed-based, speed being it's most important asset, we'll need to improve it. For this, Lucario will be running laps non-stop while wearing weights. This will help with Lucario's base strength and stack that with his momentum and he'll be a opponent to be reckoned with." And so, Andres would give advice for Daniel as well. He figured that since their power is derived from their bond and emotions, best way for them to bond even more and feel each others emotions is by subjecting them to the same thing. His idea was for them both to do exercises together such as pushups, their main goal was to be in sync together.

As for Typhlosion, he would have to keep trying, no real way to get Typhlosion to learn besides having him try repeatedly. So, they set off to work, for the weights Lucario would carry as he ran, they would stuff Andres's backpack to the point it was obscenely heavy. After stuffing his backpack, Andres attempted to lift it up, groaning as he lifted it up. Andres already noticed it was very heavy, so mission accomplished. Andres helped Lucario put it on and once the backpack was strapped on, he let go. The pack dropped, Lucario's eyes widened as the backpack forced him down a tad bit. Lucario stood up straight, and got to work on running laps.

Lucario's running speed was slowed down immensely, it felt as though the gravity was cranked up a tad bit. Regardless, Lucario continued to run, finding he was already breaking a sweat.

Daniel and George got to business as well, getting down on the floor and started to do push ups. Only after a few reps did Daniel remember that he was not physically fit and already struggled to keep up with his partner who was going at it.

Typhlosion moved to the center of the area, whipping his head up to the sky and trying again and again to control his flames. Samuel observed, looking at Typhlosion and noticed something peculiar. Typhlosion was slightly straining, he first assumed it was because of holding back but that made him realize something else. How could he be straining that much? That would indicate Typhlosion is holding back by a severe amount. Samuel held his thoughts, not wanting to interrupt them during their training session.

And so, couple hours pass by and the sun was beginning to set, Lucario trudged around, dragging one foot across the other. The pokemon's knees gave out and it collapsed to the floor, panting heavily and setting itself free from the hellish backpack. Daniel and Bisharp were doing sit-ups, Bisharp still consistently going but at a much slower rate than usual. Daniel on the other hand, slowly raised his upper torso to his knees, the boy's face turning red from the difficulty but failed, immediately falling back. Daniel's entire face felt hot from exhaustion, his head was light and he tried his best to stop himself from vomiting. He breathed heavily rapidly, trying to catch his breath until a shadow loomed over his head. Daniel focused to see it was his older brother putting his hand out. Samuel gently helped Daniel up, putting his arm around his sibling to support him.

"Water?" Samuel asked, pulling out a bottle of water for Daniel to drink.

"Yeah…" Daniel snatched it and gulped it down. They all looked to Typhlosion who was still standing and was panting as well, unable to generate another flame. They decided to call it a day, all packing up and returning to the pokemon center before it got too late.

They all sat in the main lobby of the Pokemon Center, sinking into the couches because today was just uncomfortable. Andres spoke up, ready to speak his thoughts about the training, "Well, George, looks like the backpack is working for Lucario. Typhlosion's getting a bit better with his flame control. The problem is your evolution Daniel."

Daniel looked at Andres, lifting his head before letting it drop back into the couch. "Yeah, you're right, I didn't feel any connection this time, we were both doing exercises with both of us having drastically different capacities so it's harder to focus like that…"

"Hmm, We need to figure that out, but hey, on the bright side, you at least got a nice physical workout today."

"I wanted to die."

The comment caused Andres to chuckle, looking up at the fan of the pokemon center, watching it spin slowly was mesmerizing, almost made him want to fall asleep right then and there.

"Hey, Andres, was it?" Samuel called, Andres turned his head to the champion.

"Yeah?" Andres answered back, curious about what Samuel had to say.

"What's up with your Typhlosion? It's not normal."

"Well duh, it's frickin' nine feet tall and has blue flames. Nothing about that is normal." Andres accidentally sassed, but assured himself he was just stating facts.

"How is your Typhlosion the way it is?"

"I don't know... But…"

"But what?"

Andres remained silent, looking back up to the ceiling fan. "I told all you guys at the beginning that I don't know, I found him like this, but… I never explained the specifics, mainly because it didn't answer any questions and only left more questions."

"What? There's more Andres?" George quired, sitting up out of his seat, shocked that Andres wasn't being completely honest.

"Look… this is really sensitive for me so I don't want you telling anyone else about it, alright?"

Everyone promised, Andres took in a deep breath, and exhaled, closing his eyes as he recollected his past.

 _Flashback_

 _Typhlosion is dangerous, that's a fact, too dangerous even. There's a reason he holds back as much as he does, and I believe he was intended to be a weapon..._

 _It all started when I was being a rebel one day, I was just outside my house, looking up into the stars and gazing up at their beauty. That's when I saw it, a shooting star, I thought I got lucky, that one in a million chance but it was something else. I saw it was headed towards my general area, I panicked, of course but luckily, it merely passed by and landed quite a distance away. I went to check it out, I love space, and always will, so I had to check it out. After half an hour of walking, I found it, a pod. It looked like a escape pod, or at least that's what I thought at the time. It opened, steam, smoke and everything jetted out of the capsule once it opened. And like that, there he was, an abnormal Cyndaquil. I went over to it, the poor thing was crying and whimpering. I cradled it in my arms and inspected the capsule. There appeared to be a logo on it but it was mostly burnt off, the only visible word I can make out was "t". I dismissed it, going back home and making a little makeshift bed for the Cyndaquil to sleep in._

 _Cyndaquil grew attached to me, always sticking by me, I didn't really show my parents at the time because I thought they were going to take it away like they do my other things. I showed some of my friends though, and like me, they were equally amazed. They wanted to battle me and test out the strange Cyndaquil, I must admit, I got excited because this was my first pokemon and battle. We battled and Cyndaquil showed its strength, it completely dominated my friend and I quickly became popular for having a powerful Cyndaquil. However… everything went South for me during one battle._

" _Cyndaquil, attack!" I ordered, Cyndaquil charged an attack, building up a large amount of flame and unleashed the attack. The attack shot out as fast as it was charged up, it engulfed my friends pokemon completely in flames. And once the flames died down… I was treated to a sight I will never forget in my life._

 _My friends pokemon was rendered to a charred corpse, the sight was engraved into my eyes, my friends was shocked, crying in fear and running away from the two of us. The sight was too much for me and it caused me to vomit. And at the time, Cyndaquil was amazed but terrified of its power at the same time. This was traumatized my as we both just witnessed death._

 _After that, my life became a hell. I was constantly berated and yelled at by everyone, everyone called Cyndaquil a monster and it should deserve to die. My parents, like I predicted, tried to steal Cyndaquil from me and do the job themselves. I attempted to reason with them but they said he was too dangerous. I couldn't deny that but it didn't feel right for me to just abandon Cyndaquil, it was born into this world a weapon, and I wanted to change that. I told them all of these things, I tried so hard to get them to change their minds but they wouldn't listen. This is what I told them..._

 __" _You heartless idiots! Do you even care what happens to this poor pokemon?!" The words rolled off my tongue, I didn't honestly mean to get this angry with them but they frustrated me, everyone frustrated me. They tried yanking him from me but as a last ditch effort, I ran, ran as fast as I could away from my home, my family. I didn't look back, I had to avoid my neighbors and those who used to be my friends try to take Cyndaquil. I was slandered, mocked, but I ran away. I managed to go back during one night and steal some money and go about my own journey to help this poor pokemon find it's family, if it had one._

 _But this taught me something, humans are trash, filthy beings that will do nothing to get their way. Looking at it now, I realized they were only trying to protect their family, but that gives them no right to take a life. It just wasn't right, Cyndaquil was about as innocent as can be._

 _During my journey, Cyndaquil evolved, and I talked with him a lot. Little did I know, he started to pick up the language and I could see this. So I helped out and then we go up to today. Me with a absurdly powerful typhlosion that can speak english and is my best friend._

 _Flashback End_

Andres finished his story, looking up to see everyone, including Zach at the edge of their seats, all with shocked faces with wide expressions.

"Shit man…" Daniel commented, falling back and letting the information process.

"That's rough…" Samuel added, everyone else making a comment to show their shock.

"That's why Typhlosion can't go all out, he's extremely lethal, and is forced to hold back an immense amount." Andres explained to them, closing his eyes once more and feeling a sense of dread wash over him. "My guess is, that he might've been a science experiment, either gone wrong or hijacked by me."

The Barsony brothers, feeling somewhat obligated to tell their full story now that Andres spoke up about his, told their story. Daniel explained how they were homeless and were found by the Ferris Family. How Samuel became champion and forced Daniel into his new life.

Everyone was tired out at this point, the sad stories killed the mood and they were all tired, so they decided to hit the hay and get ready to train tomorrow.

They all woke up, ready to get to work, Andres decided to revise the routine this time. He wanted Daniel and George (partners included) race against each other. He suggested that Bisharp race against Lucario without weights and Daniel to race against George. That is more likely to get the evolution to trigger. George complained, not really wanting to race when he doesn't have to but was convinced. Typhlosion moved onto its own training, attempting to control its flames again.

Bisharp and Lucairo were positioned ahead of their partners, they were all lined up against each other. Andres started the race and as expected, Lucario got the head start cuz he was naturally faster. Lucario noticed it was slightly faster than it was yesterday, and felt a new sense of confidence as he wanted to give it his all and beat Bisharp.

As for Daniel and George, they raced, they were evenly matched until Daniel's sore muscles started to ache which forced him to fall behind. George grew further ahead by the second and this began to irritate Daniel. Now both Daniel and his partner were behind as George and his were far head. They ran, and continued running around the perimeter. Lucario made it through the first lap first, as expected, followed up with Bisharp, George, and Daniel.

Samuel saw Daniel was trying hard but decided to spice things up, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled to the racers, "Hey! Whoever wins will have their meal payed for the day with extras!" This seemed to do the trick as Daniel pushed himself, his calf muscles burning like fire now. Unfortunately, this energized George as well, the teen putting his 110% into the race now. " _Crap… did not mean for that to help George too, oh well, at least more risk for Daniel, come on man, you can do this._ "

Daniel ran and ran but it soon became clear to Daniel and Bisharp that they were not going to win as is. They needed to get stronger, if they wanted to be able to defeat Samuel in the league, they're going to have to be able to beat George.

Bisharp and his partner closed their eyes and they were in a black void, continuously running. "We gotta win this! To defeat Samuel! We need to get stronger!" They both heard each others thoughts.

Samuel's eyebrows raised when he saw Bisharp be consumed in a bright neon purple light, Bisharp morphed and changed inside until the shell broke off to reveal Bisharp with a modified look. A Crimson aura exploded from Bisharp's body as the explosion of aura blew wind away. The dark steel pokemon rapidly sped up. Everyone turned their attention to the evolved pokemon as in a matter of seconds, he caught up with Lucario. Daniel pushed himself more and more, and his muscles were in excruciating pain. Daniel mostly closed the gap between him and his rival but it still wasn't enough.

Bisharp and Lucario were completely even now, almost done with the final lap. Lucario grew nervous and panicked, trying to run faster but was met with Bisharp speeding up to match the fighting pokemon. The finish line was in sight, Lucario winced and ran blindly.

Samuel counted down, anticipating the winner. "3... 2…. 1… and we have a winner!" Samuel announced, both pokemon ran into a tree at full speed, knocking them to the floor and causing their head to hurt. Bisharp's head blade marked the tree and it cut deep. Following this, George made it past the finish line before Daniel.

The champion announced the winner, Bisharp barely beat Lucario, but George defeated Daniel. Therefore, it was tie, and he was going to treat them both to dinner.

Samuel questioned Daniel and Bisharp, asking them what the transformation was and the two partners told the older brother what it was. This intrigued him immensely as this was completely new to him and he had never seen anything like it. He congratulated Daniel nonetheless for discovering it. Andres told the two what to do next, having them do some relatively simple exercises so they can still train.

Typhlosion continued to fire blasts into the air, making a little progress with each attempt. Night soon came and Samuel, as promised, treated them all to dinner.

This cycle repeated for the next couple days until the last day before the Pokemon League. It reached sunset on the last day, and everyone stood in a line. This time, Samuel walked in front of them, inspecting them.

"Alright, guys, let's see what you got. Daniel, you go first." Samuel commanded, Daniel and Bisharp moved their feet apart shoulder-width. They exhaled and took a deep breath, bringing their fists up to waist level. They closed their eyes, they heard each other's heartbeats and like that, Bisharp transformed. The aura shot out of his body, revealings the evolved state. "Good job! Now, George, what about your Lucario?"

Lucario went to the edge of the area, and bolted across. His speed was astonishing as wind gently blew against them as the fighting pokemon raced past. Lucario surpassed his old record, and now it was Typhlosion's turn. The pokemon lifted his head to the sky, and a miniscule fireball formed above Typhlosion's open mouth. The ball increased in size until it was about the size of a soccer ball. Typhlosion fired it into the sky, the sphere disappeared from their view until boom, an explosion. The ball of flame exploded in the air, generating a blast so big people in Lumiose City could probably see it.

They were all congratulated, they shook hands and fist-bumped and complemented their work. They retreated back to the Pokemon Center to rest up for the big day tomorrow. They quickly went to bed, going to bed early as to get enough sleep.

As expected, they all woke up early in the morning, Daniel looked outside and smirked as a gentle cold breeze entered the room. Daniel smiled, " _This is it… the Pokemon League, I'll be fighting Samuel here and everyone will be watching. This is it, the ultimate test, and I'm ready for it._ "

The stone's light grew bright before dying down once more.


	18. Chapter 18, It Begins

It was the day of the Pokemon League, every trainer, every participant prepared themselves for the upcoming challenge. Everyone in Lumiose made their way towards where the league would be held in the city. It was located on the outskirts of the city, the area was closed off by a large wall of rock protecting it. There were multiple levels to the area, many subsections and floors. Many towers and buildings around the main arena itself which lie in the center of the area. The entire area was also covered with trees naturally growing and covering the area as well. Helicopters were in the air, watching over and broadcasting the view.

The Holy GADZ made their way to the arena where the reception was at. Samuel, to obscure his identity, wore his hat and sunglasses. A news reporter could be heard discussing the situation, talking about the current excitement of fellow trainers and fans alike from multiple screens hung all around the area.

"Damn bruh, so many people here, wonder if there's any hot girls here." Zach stated, looking around and only finding mediocre looking girls, none that are his type. Daniel sighed at Zach's priorities, and then looking around to see if there's any signs giving directions to the reception.

"Come on guys, let's try not get late!" George complained, his excitement making him impatient.

"Chill, we aren't going to be late, we made sure we can make it in time." Andres argued towards George, who groaned in response.

Samuel continued to look around, lowering his glasses to see if he could find anything but he couldn't find anything, he was very tempted to say they were lost. He opened his mouth, ready to announce they were lost but someone yelling caught their attention.

"Daniel!" They heard, they looked towards the source of the sound to see Serena running towards them while waving. Daniel felt happy seeing her, waving back while the rest raised their hands partially in a wave. Serena embraced her friend upon getting close, this shocked and confused Samuel tenfold. The two friends parted as Serena said hi to the rest of the group but was confused when she saw Samuel.

"Holy Shit… Daniel… you have a girlfriend?" Samuel questioned, taking off his sunglasses and looking Serena up and down. He raised his eyebrows, and his eyes widening upon further inspection. " _He scored a good one! Jeez! She's really good looking as hell!_ " Samuel complimented in his head.

Daniel could see his elder brothers expression and knows he's very confused. He laughed, also realizing that Samuel doesn't know this is Serena.

"What's so funny?" Samuel questioned.

"Samuel, she's not my girlfriend, this is Serena." Daniel informed, chuckling as both Serena and Samuel's jaws dropped realizing who they were. They freaked out, apologizing to each other for not recognizing each other and handshaking at the end of it. Serena explained to Samuel that she's been there in Kalos this whole time and how her and Daniel reunited. Andres, while listening to the conversation looked around and noticed a familiar face heading their way. It was Calem who was walking directly towards them. Andres didn't say anything, the two nodding their heads in acknowledgement.

"I finally found you Serena." Calem spoke up, grabbing everyone's eyes and ears with his words. Serena raised her eyebrows in shock, surprised to see Calem.

"Oh, hey Calem, you're back." Serena said, feeling awkward now, being honest to herself, she was kind of scared of Calem. When they were little, Calem was always the leader of the group but as he grew older, he started to lead through intimidation and asserting himself to prove himself to the rest. It got bad to the point they didn't want to say anything bad to him and just went with what he said and did. There was a growing tension in the area now, everyone was silent and not sure what to say or do.

Calem's serious expression faded as he chuckled, scratching the back of his head and telling Serena "Yeah, you could've told me where you went at least, I wanted to tell you sooner but you weren't there so I had to find you the hard way." Calem chuckled a bit more, the tension now easing up.

"Yeah… sorry, it was all so sudden, you know?" Serena began to chuckle slightly herself, still not sure what to say to him. Before a silence could take over, they heard Ash's voice over the speakers. They looked at the closest screen to see Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie together in front of the camera.

"I'm Ash from Pallet Town." Ash introduced himself.

"A word on your ambitions for this tournament, please." The reporter asked.

"Okay. I am, ofcourse, aiming to win the entire thing! I'll win, win and keep winning! I'll win the league no matter what!" Ash declared, holding his hyped up pose for several seconds before realizing what he said. "Now i've said it, huh…?"

"There is our declaration of victory!"

Calem made a sour face watching the scene, as if experiencing cringe at its finest. "I hate people like him, always so overconfident and cocky. Yet their words get crammed down their throat when they battle because they let their confidence get to them. I've seen it time and time again."

Serena argued, telling Calem "Hey! Ash isn't like that! He's worked really hard to get to where he's at now!"

"Oh so you know him? What, is he your boyfriend now?"

"No… he's just my friend."

"You heard this man right? Win win win? Ridiculous, he sounds like a 10 year old who just got his first W in life. Those with simple minded goals like that are doomed to lose to those with bigger ambitions. Those with bigger ambitions and goals always do better because they put more work into it, not trash like him who believes he's entitled to a victory just because he won before."

Serena wanted to argue more but couldn't bring herself to because there's truth to what he said. It didn't help that she was still a bit scared of him. Calem looked to Daniel who stood there, not sure what to do.

"Sorry about that, didn't say hi to you man. So you made it?"

Daniel broke out of his trance and responded, "Y-yeah, I'm ready for the league."

"Great, I'll be cheering you on."

Soon enough, Lucas noticed them and went to greet his teacher. Everyone greeted Lucas and Daniel explained to Samuel who Lucas was. Calem stood there, observing his friend and noticing how much love and attention he was receiving. Even Serena paid Calem no mind, she was just looking at Daniel with a smile while he had a good laugh talking with his pupil and his brother. Calem growled slightly, clenching his fists and furrowing his eyebrows.

"Hey, Daniel, you guys should go ahead and register before it's too late! Here, lemme show you the way." Serena explained, taking Daniel's hand and leading the way with the rest of the group following. They all walked past him, paying him no mind as they walked by. Calem turned to them, his mouth open awe, gritting his teeth slightly in irritation.

The Holy GADZ registered and were ready for the league. They all hung out together until sunset where all participants had to meet up. The area they met up at was at a stage with a large red carpet laid out in front of it. There were numerous white tables with food and snacks all over for the participants

Everyone went into their own groups, Daniel and Ash's groups were next to each other. Everyone looked around, taking note of the various trainers participating. Calem stuck with Daniel's crew but kept his eyes on Serena, he would look away whenever she looked in his direction. Ash was pushed on the back by someone, they all looked to see it was one of their friends who went by the name Tierno.

Tierno is a tall, heavy-set boy with black hair with a short back and sides. His most noticeable feature is that he has a rather overweight physique. He wears a large black T-shirt that has a Vanillite design on it, orange cargo shorts, a yellow backpack, and matching black and yellow sneakers. Finally, he wears a yellow watch with a black wristband.

"Ash, long time no see!" Tierno said to knocked over Ash in a cheerful way.

Accompanying Tierno was another friend by the name of Trevor. Trevor is a small and thin boy with orange rounded hair and grey eyes. He wears a white collared shirt under a blue one, with a Pokeball logo on the left side of his chest and has grey pants with green shoes. He wears a camera around his neck and a green backpack shaped like a smiley face.

Ash and crew began exchanging "it's been a while" back and forth between each other. After exchanging greeting, Tierno whipped around towards Serena and his eyes were replaced with large hearts.

"Serena, I'm so happy to see you!" Tierno flirted, Serena said the same but not so enthusiastically. "I watched the Pokemon Performance. You were amazing!"

"Thanks. Well, I didn't become queen, though…" Serena said to him, feeling a little embarrassed now.

"Tch tch tch. You've become my queen, at least!" Tierno winked, Serena getting out of the way, imagining a projectile of love being shot her way. Daniel sat there was started to detest the man already from how he was composing himself around her. He just cringed while watching, Calem saw this and took note of the fact that most of his crew is here. Calem approached them, getting their attention and the two newcomers appeared shocked at Calem's reappearance.

"So you all left while I was gone… hm." Calem said, with a bit of sass behind it. Tierno and Trevor began to sweat and stuttered upon seeing their friend.

"Oh… hey man.." Tierno could barely force out, looking around and not making eye contact with his friend.

"What the hell, why did you all leave while I was gone."

"Well… We thought you'd be back by then and we were looking for… presents?" Trevor lied, Calem could hear the lie in his voice and grew frustrated.

"Don't you dare lie to my fucking face, what? You took this opportunity to leave while I was gone? What the fuck, to hell with you all." Calem stormed off, everyone trying to get him to stay and they tried explaining themselves but he marched off.

Samuel watched, surprised by how that went down, "Man, he needs to calm down, jeez." Samuel commented, but the mood was brought down now. During all of this, Ash decided to slip out and speak to another rival of his without anyone noticing.

Once everyone recollected themselves, a suited man stepped on stage behind a podium and began to speak. "Sorry to keep you waiting! We will now reveal the brackets for the first round! But before that, I would like to thank and introduce to y'all, a special guest for attending the league!"

Everyone in the audience started to talk amongst themselves and discuss who it could possibly be.

"The special guest is… The Unbeatable Champion, Samuel Barsony! Please step up on stage!"

Everyone except the Holy GADZ freaked out, all yelling "WHAT...!?" as Samuel laughed, taking off his hat and sunglasses and stepping up on stage. The audience was silenced to see the Unbeatable Champion, in the flesh, standing before them.

"Thank you very much for attending the League, but a question I'm sure we all have is this: Why are you participating despite being retired?" The man brought the microphone close to the man.

"Well, the reason is because I want to battle my brother, I haven't seen him in a while so I figured I'd battle him here where mom would be able to see us on TV." Samuel explained to them, his hands on his hips.

"Your brother? Didn't he go missing according to the rumors?"

"Nope, he's been spending his days training and improving just to beat me."

"Really? Where is he now?"

Samuel pointed to Daniel who scrunched up when everyone looked at him.

"Really?! That's your little brother? Daniel Barsony?"

Samuel nodded, proud of it. Everyone murmured to each other, giving their thoughts and reactions to the unveiling. The announcer inspected Daniel, giving him a closer look and recognizing him.

"Wait a minute, I recognize your brother. He was the kid who ran in to save the kidnapped girl in the one video!"

"What?" Samuel questioned, turning towards the other man wanting answers. The man explained to everyone and Samuel what happened in the video, the Holy GADZ, or rather, everyone that was there during it remembered the incident. They remembered Daniel stepping in, giving them all a chance to step in and save Serena despite the danger. Serena remembered and blushed slightly, looking to the boy who saved her who was still scrunched up from all the attention. Samuel looked at his little brother, and felt so proud of him for his heroic act just listening to it. He smiled, knowing his brother is a good man, despite what he says.

After all that was done and settled, they got to explaining the line-ups: Everyone battled against random people they weren't familiar with for the preliminary rounds. Daniel was one of the matches in the middle while Samuel's was the last match for the day. Everyone took in and memorized their battles and when, they all prepared for the big day tomorrow.

The next day…

Fireworks went off, fletchlings flew all around, the sun was bright and everyone was cheerful. The stadium was filled with joy as everyone sat in their seats waiting for the league to officially begin.

The stadium had thousands of red seats all circled around the arena, there were large screens positioned at various parts of the stadium. One one side of the arena was a special observing area for VIP members and the battle arena itself was not there at the moment. Only two large walkways meeting towards the center.

"With weather so clear it almost seems like it wants to bless this event, the day has finally come! We begin with the opening ceremony. It's time for Kalos Champion Diantha's opening speech!" the announcer cheered excitedly, the Champion sat alongside Professor Sycamore. She got up and moved into view of the camera.

She wears a fairy-like white outfit with lots of gold trim. She has short light brown hair, designed in a somewhat star pattern, light blue eyes, and violet eyeshadow. She equips a white choker and a white long-sleeved blazer with lapels that possesses large buttons and also a small collar, the blazer finished with three petal-like ends and the sleeves has two golden lines on the cuffs. Two lacy objects on the back of her outfit that resemble cloud-like wings that is likely to be connected to the blazer. She also wears a simple white shirt with two golden lines near the end of the shirt. That's all the camera views upon the champion.

The champion opened her closed eyes to look directly into the camera, "Dear trainers, the experience and efforts you have accumulated to come here… are irreplaceable. Please feel free to channel all of it into the Kalos League here. Now then, I hereby… declare the Kalos League… open!" She declared, confetti and audience erupted as the league was now officially started.

The first battle was between two trainers who had mega-evolving Charizards. The one with Charizard X moved on to the next round. Ash was the next to fight, breezing through his round. And so, the cycle continued where everyone would wait and observe the battles. The Holy GADZ and Ash's crew combined and sat together but in a separate corner not too far away from them, was Calem staring them down.

It was a matter of hours until it was Daniel's turn to battle, all of his friends got excited, all wishing him luck as he got ready. Calem made a "tch" sound in response to their excitement as the teen left. Daniel walked through the hallways, eventually making it to the walkway towards the arena. A special feature of this stadium is that it has the ability to switch arenas. The arena selected this time was a very rocky arena with a small little river going across the middle. The announcer's stated the challengers, Daniel made his appearance, a small amount of cheers were had as he stepped up into view to his platform on the walkway. Ahead of him, on the other side was his challenger.

The challenger was a slender teenage girl with blue hair. She has straight blue hair which goes down to her waist. She wore a magenta colored dress that stops at her knees. Over he dress, she wears a black leather jacket and white stockings. She wears purple high heels and and finally, finishing off her outfit is a golden bracelet.

Daniel pulled out Bisharp's pokeball, looking at it and gripping it tightly. " _This is it buddy… this is what we've been working towards… let's do this._ " Daniel thought to himself, letting out his partner who popped his neck upon being released.

"Hmm, disgusting." The woman mocked, throwing out her pokeball to release a Jinx.

"Let the battle between trainers Daniel and Anna begin!" The announcer declared.

Anna looked Daniel up and down and grew disgusted, looking at the two of them. "Disgusting… the both of you are disgusting to me!" She exclaimed, Daniel's face warped with confusion for why the battle started on a strange note.

" _What the hell did I do?!_ " Daniel cursed to himself, his face twisting and morphing in ways he's never done because of his confusion.

"For being the brother of such an esteemed champion, you should look the part. You wear disgusting clothes like you're homeless, wearing such baggy clothes is disgusting! It's disgraceful! And you're bisharp is inelegant, blades are dangerous!"

Daniel managed to control his face finally and make it into a expression which translate to "really…?", the homeless part did not help and struck a nerve.

Bisharp struck a fighting pose, waiting to see his opponents move. Jinx charged towards Bisharp at full speed (which wasn't fast) and repeatedly kissing nothing. Bisharp stood still, waiting for the right time to strike, Jinx lunged towards the Dark Steel pokemon, going in for an attack. Bisharp waited until the last second to hop out of the way and land on his hands into a handstand. Jinx turned to bisharp, only to receive a upside down roundhouse kick to the face. Jinx staggered back, its eyes winced as it felt immense pain on its face where it was hit. Bisharp spun around more and used the momentum to spin himself back on his feet. Both Daniel and Bisharp can see a visible bruise on the pokemons face.

Anna grew furious, nothing was in order, her OCD started to kick in because of Daniel's lack of orders and Bisharp's freestyle movement. She ignorantly commands her Jinx to use blizzard, the pokemon jumps up into the air, creating a large gust of freezing cold air which blew against Bisharp. The pokemon put its arms up in defense, his arms starting to freeze and his body temperature freezing. Jinx landed on the ground, stopping the attack to see Bisharp with frozen arms and frost covering the pokemon but no real damage. Jinx charged at Bisharp once more, going in for a wake-up slap. Bisharp charged towards Jinx, getting on his knees and doing a somersault over Jinx. Daniel's pokemon reached out, grabbing ahold of Jinx. Daniel and Bisharp focused, as the pokemons arm was covered in a purple aura as Jinx was miraculously lifted from its feet. As Bisharp finished the maneuver and landed on his feet, he proceeds to slam Jinx as hard as he can into the ground. Bisharp's toss was strong enough to dig Jinx partially into the ground and effectively knock it unconcious.

Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered for Daniel and Bisharp, Samuel raised his eyebrows and was very impressed with his maneuvers. Ash and crew stared at shock, Andres smirked, and George was cheering his friend on. Anna was down one pokemon, two more left. She put Jinx back and let out a Florges with a yellow flower.

Florges started off the battle with a Moon blast, rising upwards and firing a blast towards Bisharp. Daniel and his partner immediately recognized the move, and sought to get out of the way. Anna took note of the fact that they moved out of the way of the moon blast quickly. Florges used disarming voice, creating a sound so piercing it stopped Bisharp dead in his tracks. They covered their ears, but once the noise ended, Bisharp came face to face with another moonblast. Bisharp was knocked back but flipped back onto his feet and caught himself as he slid backwards. An injury where the blast hit, but they can keep going.

Daniel called out to Bisharp who turned to him, they nodded towards each other, as the Dark Steel pokemon stood back up and chased after the Florges. They tried the same combo, attempting to catch Bisharp off guard but the pokemon was much more ready this time. He covered his ears when he saw the attack being made and when it did, he only got a headache this time. As predicted, Florges fired off more moon blasts but Bisharp reacted accordingly and got out of the way as he advanced on his opponent. Bisharp needed to gain ground, and started to scale the nearby rock wall. Once he was sure he was high enough, he covered his legs with the aura to give his leap an extra boost. Once leaping off with incredible strength, he began to arch towards his enemy. The Florges put up a Flower Shield to block against the pokemon but Bisharp had other plans, he hardened his head blade and impacted the shield like a bullet. The shield shattered and he hit Florges dead-on with the attack. Florges was knocked to the ground and rolled over to reveal its unconscious self. Bisharp landed on his two feet and stared off towards the audience as more cheers erupted.

Anna's nostrils were flaring with rage as she returned her pokemon to let out her final pokemon: Delphox. It was time for the final pokemon, and everyone was ready. Delphox used Fire blast, shooting out a mass of fire towards Bisharp. The Dark Steel Pokemon ran towards the water and diving in to avoid the blast which passed over him. Once the flame was gone, Bisharp sat up, keeping his eyes on Delphox. The pokemon prepared another attack which caused Bisharp to panic slightly and get up faster. Delphox used Mystical flame as it created a spiral of flames and casted a fireball through it, increasing the size and caused it to spin. Bisharp ducked and rolled out of the way narrowly but the pokemon was not yet done. Delphox used flamethrower next, shooting a stream of flame towards Bisharp. Bisharp had little time to react, trying to roll backwards but tripped and got hit by the flames. Bisharp was slowly scorched by the continuous flames which hurt.

Delphox let up, stopping the flames to reveal Bisharp laying there on the ground, burnt. The Dark Steel pokemon groaned while getting up, but it wasn't a painful groan, it was one of irritation. Anna commanded her Delphox to use Flamethrower one more time and so it did. Delphox prepared the attack, Bisharp began to walk towards the fire pokemon and slowly advance on her position. The Flamethrower was launched, the stream of flames heading towards Bisharp once more. Both Daniel and his partner closed their eyes and took a deep breath as Bisharp walked into the flames. Everyone grew worried and gasped, Serena held her hands together in worry, believing Bisharp was going to lose. How wrong they were… Anna gasped for a different reason, looking at the flames and noticing they were being dispersed, almost like they were being pushed back. Behind the flames, she could partially see a crimson aura fluctuating in shape. Bisharp yelled as the aura exploded in size and making the flames disappear. Bisharp transformed, being in his second form and creeping towards Delphox menacingly. Anna panicked, not sure what is happening anymore but as she stuttered on her words, Daniel's pokemon zoomed towards Delphox, brinings its arm back and shooting it forward in a blur.

Delphox spat out in pain, as its eyes rolled back and it fell on its back.

"What is that form?! What's going on?! Bisharp seemed to have evolved and take down Delphox with ease!" The announcer yelled, everyone in the stadium roared with excitement. The camera focused on Bisharp with his new form as his aura flowed smoothly. "With that, Daniel Barsony is the winner of this match! We might have some tight competition this time around, we have both the Unbeatable Champion and his impressive brother here to compete!"

Bisharp's reverted back to normal as he walked towards Daniel, the two looked at each other, smirking and exchanging their signature fist-bump.

"Good job man." Daniel complimented, when it grew silent, they could hear Anna breaking down over her loss and complaining about how "non-gorgeous" the two were. Daniel and Bisharp shook their heads in response, turning around and walking back.

Calem sat overhead, furrowing his brows and gritting his teeth at the realization that Daniel was the brother of Samuel. " _What the fuck, he's also the brother of the Unbeatable Champion?! What is this shit! Look at him, he has everything, Serena's affection, my friends, being the brother of a popular champion, and a really strong pokemon. Dammit._ " Calem crossed his arms, closing his eyes and attempting to calm down and forget his jealousy.

Daniel came back up where he was greeted with a warm welcome from all his dear friends. They all congratulated him, Daniel chuckled out of embarrassment and thanked them all. He took a seat between Serena and his brother and looked down at the stadium, waiting for the next battle to start. Serena looked over to Daniel who noticed and looked over as well, they smiled at each other before returning their attention to the arena.

Battle after battle passed by and all of the Holy GADZ managed to advance to the next level (except Zach because he wasn't participating). It was now time for the final match of the day and the sun was on its way to set so it was time to wrap things up.

"Alright! Ladies and gentleman, for the last match of the day, we have the legendary Unbeatable Champion squaring off against challenger William! Could this challenger be the one to defeat the Champion? We shall find out soon enough!" the Announcer stated, the entire stadium blowing up, ready to see Samuel in action. The older brother went down, readying for his battle against this William fellow.

The selected stage this time was a simple one with a straight clear path connecting both sides and trees surrounding the path (almost like a pathway in a forest, path is clear but is surrounded by trees).

William was a small fellow, he had a messy black bowl cut for his hair, he wore glasses which reflected the light so his eyes were obscured. He had a mahogany red trench coat with a green undershirt. Finally, he wore black navy shorts under it with blue tennis shoes.

" _Interesting gettup._ " Samuel commented mentally, pulling out his pokeball and releasing his infamous pokemon. The pokeball released his strongest pokemon, Deoxys onto the field as the viewing audience boomed due to excitement. Deoxys turned around to Samuel, not saying anything and expecting an answer out of him.

"I've been waiting for this moment, Samuel Barsony! I've prepared the strongest pokemon in my arsenal just to take you down!" William declared, throwing out a pokeball to release a Snorlax. Deoxys turned around to the new pokemon, putting two and two together and groaned as a result.

"Do I really have to waste my time Samuel?" Deoxys spoke to Samuel telepathically using his physic abilities.

"Yup, unfortunately, but here, I'll strike you a deal. You remember Bishar- I mean, Daniel and his Pawniard, right?"

"Yes, what of those two?"

"Well, let me tell you, they've gotten a lot and I mean A LOT stronger since we last battled. I think they might prove to be a challenge yet, I promise you. So if you really want to see for yourself, we'll have to get these over with quickly." Samuel informed, waiting for Deoxys response who remained silent. The legendary closed its eyes, remembering the small and pathetic Pawniard which constantly battled him all those years ago.

" _Them… so they still continue to try and defeat me after all this time? Fine, I'll reward their patience with a battle. All of these weaklings, or rather, anyone for that matter is not worth my time so therefore, there is no point spending any time on this battle._ " Deoxys thought to himself, turning completely towards Snorlax.

"This snorlax is no ordinary snorlax! I've scoured far and wide searching for the perfect pokemon to go against your Deoxys, this pokemon here has the best chance at defeating you according to my calculations!" William exclaimed, adjusting his glasses and crossing his arms with a cocky smile.

"So, Deoxys, you willing to fight them?" Samuel begged, Deoxys stood there, making a "mhm" sound and readying into a fighting stance.

"It looks like challenger William is very confident in his pokemon's abilities! Could this be the match we've been waiting for?!" The announcer said, anxious to see what was going to happen.

" _Alright, I am very sure according to my calculations that Snorlax can take his hits, Snorlax has the power to counter Deoxys as well, and if that doesn't work, Snorlax should have at least weakened the legendary. Leaving room for my next pokemon! This match is mine!_ " William thought to himself arrogantly, putting his hands on his hips.

"Let the battle begin!" the announcer started, Deoxys transformed into his speed mode and got into a position to launch himself.

""Your speed mode won't stand a chance against Snorlax's defense!" William mocked, Deoxys said nothing, zooming across the battlefield in a blur. Snorlax prepared a defense curl, readying to take a hit. In less than a second after saying that, Deoxys hit Snorlax, a loud sound was created from the impact, so loud in fact everyone could hear it. Snorlax was pushed several feet backwards, his feet dragging against the floor as it still stood on its two feet. A dent along with a massive bruise was left from where the legendary pokemon hit. Deoxys stood where Snorlax previously was, now in attack mode and returning to his normal state.

"Incredible! It appears the Snorlax is still standing after that! This could be it folks!"

William smiled, believing everything was going according to plan, "What did I say? This Snorlax is the best!" Unfortunately, Snorlax's eyes rolled back as it fell forward and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

Everyone's jaws dropped, and there was only silence filling the entire area now because of Deoxys. William looked at his downed Snorlax, his legs began to shake as a result and he looked up at the opponent Deoxys returning to him a cold, terrifying stare.

William fell to his knees and was at the brink of crying now, "B-but I needed Snorlax to win… without it, my plan fails…" William whimpered, looking down at the ground in shame.

"I advice you surrender, and save us all time." Deoxys spoke to William, the poor trainer looking back up to see Deoxys still looking at him.

"O-okay… I surrender…" William forfeited, and everyone cheered at the expected victory.

"There we have it! Deoxys is the winner! And Samuel moves on to the next round! That ends all the preliminary matches for today, tomorrow, we'll be picking up where we left off with the next set of rounds! Don't miss it because we'll be having even better battles!" Declared the announcer, Samuel returned his pokemon back to its ball. William did the same and began to cry at his shameful defeat. Samuel felt bad, walking over to the other side and putting his hand out. William grabbed it and picked himself up, wiping his tears.

"Hey, don't feel bad, I'm honoured by the fact you put a lot of time into developing a team just to defeat me. Trust me, I appreciate hard work and you did a good job, don't be ashamed." Samuel complimented, putting his hand on the boys head who cheered up.

"Thank you very much." William thanked, bowing in appreciation.

Like that, everyone got their stuff ready, the announcers rehashed who the winners were and that they were moving on to the next round. The Holy GADZ regrouped and got ready for the next day which will be even harder than the last. Calem was by himself, waiting for the next day like all others, Ash's crew went to sleep early except for Serena who spent a bit of time texting Daniel and getting his thoughts for the upcoming match. Afterwards, they all crashed and went to sleep.

Inside Daniel's bag, the mysterious stone glowed slightly before dying down once more.


	19. Chapter 19, Surprises

"GOOD Morning Ladies and Gentlemen! We are starting off today's event on a rather high note because today's battles are going to be better than yesterdays! Can you believe that? I can't! We're starting our first battle of the day with our favorite champion, Samuel Barsony! Against a challenger by the name of George! Does this rookie have what it takes to take Samuel Barsony down? Find out in a bit folks after these messages!"

It cut to the commercial breaks, the day was bright and the crowd was rowdy. The stadium was being filled rather quickly because everyone anticipated the upcoming battles up ahead, Daniel sat down with all of his friends around him, all excited to see the battles. Calem was still there, showing up to the event still but remaining far away from the main crew.

"I can't wait to see your battle, Daniel! Who are you going up against?" Serena asked eagerly, Daniel put his hand on his chin, entering deep thought and trying to remember who his opponent was. It then came back to him, a light bulb turned on as he remembered.

"It's Lucas, all right! I can't wait. He's gotten a lot better now that he's got a Samurott. This will be an interesting day." Daniel explained, feeling more excited, Serena smiled at him, blushing a little as she did admire his new confidence he had with himself. She remembered well, the days when he had very little confidence and always cried. She closed her eyes, remembering when Daniel jumped into face Team Rocket by himself to save her, then she remembered Daniel counseling her after her first major loss.

"Good luck, Daniel."

"Thanks."

"Lllllllet's get ready to battle folks!" the announcer raised his voice, the crowd roared as a result of this. "Like we said earlier, we got a battle between Legendary Unbeatable Champion, Samuel Barsony off against George! The setting for today's batte will be the swamp setting!" A new arena platform rose up from the ground and centered itself, connecting to the two pathways leading up to it.

George and Samuel met at the arena, both on their respective ends facing each other and smirked.

"Aww man, why'd I have to go up against Samuel of all people? Well, guess this will be the ultimate challenge for Lucario." George murmured, complaining about the situation but relaxed regardless.

"Here's a fun fact about the Samuel Barsony's Deoxys! According to the ex-champion himself, Deoxys has never once, been struck in his life! Now that's surprising! Considering the legendary's capabilities, I wouldn't doubt it!" The announcer stated. Both trainers took out their respective pokeballs and let out their partners. The two opposing pokemon looked each other up and down, Lucario smirked like his trainer but Deoxys remained with his cold stare.

"Hey, Lucario! Be careful with this one, we're going up against the Unbeatable Champion so be on your guard!" George warned, his pokemon acknowledged the warning, getting into a fighting stance and jumping slightly to warm himself up.

"Alright, enough waiting now! Let's get this started! Let the battle between Samuel and George… BEGIN!"

Deoxys zoomed towards Lucario in an instant, making the fighting pokemon flinch. " _OH SHIT, he's fast!_ " Lucario, being used to speed, barely managed to dodge by a hair as the legendary went past him. Lucario turned around, hopping around to improve his movement. Deoxys whipped around in irritation, launching himself at his opponent. Lucario dodged again by a hair, feeling the air blow against him from the side as his enemy moved past. " _He's too sluggish, he's moving too fast, I can use that sluggishness to give me an advantage._ " Lucario thought to himself, creating a bone staff.

" _Damn, he can actually dodge, I need to get serious if I want to get by this one quick…_ " Deoxys thought to himself, slowly turning around and observing Lucario spin his staff around.

"Wow! It appears George's Lucario can keep up! We might have ourselves quite a show ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer cheered, the Holy GADZ cheering their friend on more. Lucario kept a close on Deoxys, paying attention to his body language and anticipating when he'll move. It was a bit before Deoxys moved and Lucario jumped in the air, his prediction was correct as his opponent passed right under.

Deoxys halted himself, silently groaning as he was wasting his time. The fighting pokemon landed, running up to Deoxys and twirling as he prepared an attack with his staff. "You left yourself completely open!" Lucario exclaimed, finishing his spin and slamming his stick directly at Deoxys.

A loud hitting sound, followed with a breaking sound followed suite, Lucario grinned, proud of his hit. Then, the fighting pokemon noticed his staff was significantly lighter, he looked at it and saw there was only a quarter of it left. "What?!" Lucario yelled, looking around to see the other chunk of the staff spiraling in the air and falling to the ground. Lucario's jaw dropped, he immediately turned to Deoxys and his pupils shrank upon realizing what happened. Protecting Deoxys, was a greenish-blue dome-shaped shield surrounding the legendary pokemon.

"There it is! Deoxy's unbreakable Protect shield!" The announcer stated out loud, the crowd became shocked upon seeing this.

George watched as his pokemon scurried back to his feet and backing off. "What is that?!" George yelled, confused as to how Deoxys protected himself with the shield.

"It's nothing special in hindsight, Deoxys is simply using protect. Thing is, Deoxys maintains it at all times to the point it's second nature to him, it's about as natural to him as breathing is to us."

Everyone's jaw dropped at the explanation, and George and his partner began to sweat furiously as a result of this.

" _H-how the hell are we going to beat him?!_ " George cursed in his mind, at a loss for words. Deoxys turned to Lucario, lifting up his arm and covering the opponent in a bright outline. The psychic pokemon used it's physic ability to pick up his opponent and chuck him at a tree as hard as possible. The tree in question were knocked over which created a domino effect and another tree was knocked over as well. "Lucario!" George called out, but with no response.

The fighting pokemon lay there, groaning and coughing in pain as he felt a massive pain going up his back. "Oww…" the pokemon commented, grumbling in pain as he got back up on his feet and had a difficult time staying up.

"Give up." Deoxys spoke to Lucario, this made the fighting pokemon chuckle as a response.

"Give up? Sorry buddy… you're asking the wrong pokemon." Lucario stood up straight and stared down his opponent. " _I can't beat this guy doing what I'm doing now… I'm going to have to blitz it if I want a chance at beating this guy…"_ He thought to himself, brainstorming ideas while he had a chance. Then, he thought of something, It probably wouldn't work but he had to try, there was something he wanted to test. "Let's go!" Lucario jumped as high as he can into the air, putting his hands together to create an aura sphere. Deoxys watched, wanting to know what "brilliant" idea his opponent had this time.

Once the aura sphere was created, he held it off to the side with his left hand and created a bone staff with the other open hand. Lucario tossed it up, now grabbing the staff with both hands and spinning forward to give himself momentum as he slammed down on his own attack as hard as he can. The sphere shot like a bullet towards Deoxys, the speed made his eye twitch but he reacted quickly, using psychic on the attack and sending it into the ground in front of him. The attack exploded on impact, creating blue smoke as it obscured his vision. Deoxys listened closely and heard footstep heading his way in front of him. He took this as his opportunity to strike moving forward and throwing a punch, expecting to hit his enemy.

Unfortunately, Deoxys was wrong, Lucario was to the left of Deoxys, close to his side with his right arm wrapped in an orange glow. George's pokemon carried his fist back as threw it forwards towards the legendary. Deoxys's eyes widened as he saw the punch come close to him rapidly. In a slight panic, he maneuvered out of the way, getting into a position under Lucario and uppercutting the pokemon into the air. The impact sound from the punch was loud and brutal as the whole stadium can see the fighting pokemon knocked up and crashing to the ground. George went over to his pokemon to check up on it but it was too late, Lucario was unconscious, and Deoxys was the winner.

"Deoxys is the winner! As expected of course from the unbeatable champion! Give it up for Samuel Barsony!" the announcer declared, the stadium erupting into a chorus of claps and cheers from fans and trainers alike.

The Holy GADZ were at the edge of their seat but collapsed back into it.

"Aww man… George did so good too!" Daniel complained, bummed about his friends defeat.

"For a blitz strategy, that was really damn good…" Andres complimented. Down at the stadium, George returned his pokemon to its ball.

Deoxys stood there, letting out a deep breath and looking away. " _That was close…_ " He thought, before being returned to his pokeball. Samuel walked up to George, congratulating the fellow trainer as the two complimented each other and shook hands.

"With that battle come to a close, we will now move on to the next battle!" The announcer began to call out the next battle as both George and Samuel walked back. Samuel walked back up while George went to the pokemon center to get Lucario healed. Daniel and Andres got up and made their way there as well to check up on their friend.

Upon arriving, they saw George relaxing on one of the chairs with a content smile on his face as he opened his eyes and waved towards his friends.

"Hey guys! You saw the battle?" George asked, they assured him they did and their friend received praise for his valiant effort. "I'm kinda bummed that I lost but I'm pretty happy I lasted that long against your brother, Daniel."

"Yeah, you did great man." Daniel complimented, then, something unexpected happened with Bisharp forcing himself out of the ball and turning to the group.

"Where's Lucario?" Bisharp asked, Daniel relayed the message and George explained he was resting up in the back. So they waited, they watched other battles being displayed on a screen within the room. It was only a matter of time until Lucario was brought back up front and all patched up. George and Bisharp were the first to go up to the healed pokemon, checking on his condition. Lucario told them that he was alright but saw Bisharp and realized something.

"I'm so glad you're okay buddy. You did awesome out there!" George hailed, Lucario acknowledged the compliment but focused his attention on Bisharp.

"Hey, Bisharp." Lucario said to the dark steel pokemon who made a "hmm?" sound in response. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" The dark steel pokemon quired, waiting for his friends response.

"I think I know how to defeat Deoxys."

Some time later, Samuel was walking around the outskirts of the Stadium, considering he was done for the day and Daniel's battle wouldn't be up for a bit. As he walked around (with his little cover-up/disguise on) trying not to get any attention to himself, he noticed two familiar faces. It was Roloane and Dave who were walking around as well. Samuel made his way over to them to greet them, they noticed and they exchanged greetings.

"Your battles are amazing Samuel, they're unbelievable to watch in person!" Dave stated, Roloane snickered at his partners excitement and looked back up at one of the screens to watch the battle.

"Daniel's doing quite well himself, it appears him and his Bisharp no longer needed those prosthetic blades we made them, they've learned to manage without them." Roloane remarked, smiling and feeling happy to see the sons of his boss are doing just fine.

"Yeah, Daniel's also gotten really good, man I can't wait to see the rest of these battles."

"Well, Daniel should be battling in a bit if you want to watch." Samuel informed them, pointing to the lineups displayed on a seperate screen.

"Of course, I'd very much like to see his battle." Roloane assured, the three of them then continued on about other topics and such and enjoyed a casual conversation.

Daniel was sitting back with the rest of the guys, George as well and they watched as Typhlosion decimated the competition and blew through with relative ease.

" , we're going to be up in a bit." Lucas said to Daniel, his teacher looked to him and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm ready, are you?"

"Yeah." Lucas said somewhat nervously but tried his best to hide it.

Nearby, Calem looked at the brackets and got up from his seat, leaving the stands and going somewhere else. No one noticed and the Holy GADZ were left to their own antics until the next match. It might've taken several minutes or more before it was finally Daniel and Lucas's turn to battle. They got up from their seat, turning to each other and exchanging a fist-bump as they went their own way, going in two directions away from each other.

Lucas walked down the well lit corridor, following the signs which led him to his side of the arena. The boy had his Samurott's ball out, he looked at it and his arms became somewhat shaky. He thought to himself, " _We're going to be battling next… we have to give it our all or else we're going to lose… and I don't want to lose…_ " And in that same moment, an image of his family appeared in his mind. He looked up with a new sense of determination, gripping the pokeball even tighter now, " _I still have to try! For my family!_ "

In his state of absent mindedness, he did not notice someone in front of him; because of this, he bumped right into said person, making the boy stagger back but the person in front remained as still as a statue. Lucas apologised, looking at the person and noticing he was a tall man who looked vaguely familiar. Though, he could not quite put his finger on it, the blue jacket seemed somewhat familiar but that's about it.

"Excuse me, I have to get to my battle, sorry again." Lucas explained, moving to the persons side but was stopped when they put their arm out, stopping the boy.

"No so fast, kiddo" The man told Lucas, forcefully pushing him forward in front of him.

"Sir! I need to go to the arena-"

"I'm not letting you through until you battle me first." They threatened, taking out a pokeball and letting out their pokemon. Lucas became impatient, and he was slowly filled with adrenaline as he became fearful.

"But sir-"

"Do it."

Lucas winced, taking out his pokemon and releasing his Samurott to face the new obstacle.

Daniel walked, reflecting on life and how things have gone rather smoothly for him as of recent, he's patched up his relationship with Serena, he's starting to get the respect he originally wanted, and him and his partner are even closer than before. " _Things are great._ " Daniel thought, cheerfully marching down the corridor leading to his side of the arena.

After a little bit of walking, the announcer stated the next two challengers to be Daniel and Lucas. The teen smirked, excited for this upcoming battle he was about to have.

"And in this corner… we got the brother of the Unbeatable Champion… Daniel Barsony!" the crowd got excited and all of Daniel's friends cheered. Daniel walked through, showing himself and walking up to the end of his pathway to the arena. "And in this corner… we have Lucas!" The crowd reacted, but nothing else happened. Nothing was there, besides the city-based arena that was chosen and Daniel standing there by himself.

The crowd talked amongst themselves, all discussing why Lucas was not there to face Daniel.

"It appears that challenger Lucas is not currently here… If he doesn't show in soon, it will count as an automatic forfeit and victory for challenger Daniel. Better show soon Lucas."

Daniel furrowed his brows, concern growing from inside as he began to fear for his student. "Come on man… where are you?" He murmured to himself, crossing his arms and waiting patiently.

Samurott was defeated, as it was knocked unconscious and its body sliding on the ground towards Lucas. He boy fell to his knees as he held back his tears. "Samurott!" Lucas called out, shaking his pokemon's unconscious body but with no success. "WHY?! Why did you stop me?!" Lucas cried, tears rolling down his cheeks. The man who defeated him stood there, a shadow casted over his eyes as he returned his pokemon and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I'm all done here, do as you wish." The man said, walking off with his back turned to the defeated trainer. Lucas returned his pokemon, curling up his hands into fists.

"Looks like it's a no-show, and that means Daniel Barsony is the winner!" The announcer's voice could be heard from the speakers and the crowds cheers and boos could be hear from it as well. The boy looked up, choking up and having a hard time breathing as he understands that his time in the League is over and his chances are done. The only thing he can do at this point is bring his pokemon to the center to get it healed up. And so, he picked himself up, and began walking towards the center as he silently wheeped.

Daniel's eyes shank to mere dots when the announcer stated that he was the victor and the crowd reacted. Daniel gritted his teeth so hard his jaw hurt, " _Lucas… dammit, I have to find him!_ " Daniel made a full sprint across the arena and onto Lucas's walkway which he began to descend. Serena and all of Daniel's other friends grew worried for Lucas and knew Daniel was equally worried, if not more as he was the teacher after all.

Daniel ran through the corridor, going towards the direction he should've come from and stopped when he noticed something. He slowed down and saw various marks in this part of the corridor. He knelt down, getting a better look at it and wondering what had happened, then it came to him. " _This must've been Lucas! But… if he was having a battle here, who the hell was he battling?! The battle's obviously over from what I can tell… so that means the loser must've went to the Pokemon center maybe… but… if Lucas didn't show up… that means he lost…_ " Daniel shot his head up, scurrying to his feet and storming down the hallway towards the Pokemon Center.

As Daniel ran, he could see hear the announcer talking and making his comments on the current battle which was just a random battle he had no care for. He could see it, the doors up ahead, he sped up, and stopped at the door, he waited as the slide doors moved aside and surely enough, there he was, Lucas sitting on one of the chairs with his head hanging low. Daniel jogged over in front of Lucas and called his students name. The boy looked up, eyes dried out but not for long. More tears were summoned as Lucas got up from his seat and hugged Daniel as tight as possibly, bawling his eyes out. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, easy now Lucas, easy… it's gonna be alright." Daniel knelt down, getting on his students level and embracing him back to help ease him.

Daniel patted his back, letting the poor child calm down and ease up with the tears. "It's okay buddy, just calm down, take a deep breath." Daniel informed in in a calming voice, with his student doing as told and getting ahold of himself. Lucas took a seat, looking down at the ground and not making eye-contact with his teacher. "Lucas, look at me." He did as told, looking up at Daniel with his now, slightly red eyes from all the crying, "What happened?"

"S-someone stopped me from g-going… I tried to make it b-but they wouldn't let me…" He answered, hiccuping afterwards.

"Who? Who stopped you?"

"I… I don't know… I don't know them, they don't look familiar…"

"Do you atleast remember what they look like?"

"No… sorry…"

Daniel sighed, letting out a deep breath and putting his hand on his pupils shoulder. "Don't sweat it, okay? We can always have a battle later, this time, one where there isn't any stakes."

"No… I'm not sad because of that… I'm sad because I won't be able to win the Pokemon League."

"Buddy, it's alright, there's always next time, trust m-"

Daniel was cut off however by Lucas, "You don't understand… My family needs this… I have to win for my family…" the boy began to choke up, remembering his mission. Daniel raised his eyebrows in concern, but then furrowed it wanting to know what specifically.

"What do you mean?"

"Y-you remember the day we met… when I didn't have the money to buy my sister that dress?" The boy started to choke up, not having enough strength to cry but it was hard for him to talk.

"Yeah, that was a long time ago but what does tha-"

"My family is poor… we have no money… My mommy and daddy spent it all so I could live my dream as a pokemon trainer… but I want to win the league so they can have money and be happy too…" the boy winced, his lips shaking now uncontrollably. Daniel's mouth opened in awe as he felt a pain in his heart. He remembered back then, when his own family was homeless and Samuel went off to become a pokemon trainer to save his family even though he didn't want to be one. "That's why… I wanted to win the league… So I can make my parents happy… they did so much for me and all I can do is cry and not accomplish anything… I'm so useless…" a tear ran down his cheek and dropped to his leg.

" _Lucas… you did everything for your family… just like my big brother… He wanted to win because his family needs him too… but if he did battle me and I won… I would've taken his dream away from him…._ " Daniel nearly teared up at the thought of ruining Lucas's life like that, he couldn't imagine the guilt he would live with if he was the one to beat Lucas. Daniel heard Lucas's whimpering, this made him snap back to reality as his eyes widened. " _No! It's not over yet! There's still hope left!_ " Daniel stood up, looking down at his student. "I'm going to win the Pokemon League, and when I do, I'll give you all the money, you hear me?"

The boy looked up in shock, it took him a bit to process what he just heard and when he did, he objected, "N-no! Don't! You need that money too, right?" Daniel furrowed his brows, showing Lucas he was dead serious.

"No, I'm being serious, I'm winning this thing and when I do, I'll give you all the money so you can support your family, got it?"

"G-got it…" Lucas was completely baffled, completely speechless. Daniel put his hand on his students shoulder.

"I never go back on my word, so cheer up. I'm going to go out there and win all my battles, I just need your support, you with me?" Daniel turned around, having his back turned to Lucas who watched with amazement, remembering why he looked up to the man in the first place.

"Yes!"

Daniel smirked, but he began to angrily clench his fists to the point they visibly shaken, he gritted his teeth and his eyes became mere dots. " _I swear on it Lucas… I'll make whoever did this to you pay!_ "

Daniel returned to the stands where his friends was, they all looked happy to see him but their expression changed when they saw Daniel's furious expression. Daniel angrily got into his seat and stared down at the arena where a battle was going on.

"Daniel… what happened?" Serena felt bad, wanting to help out her dear friend.

"I promise you all… I'm going to win this thing one way or another and no one is going to stop me… you hear me Samuel?!" Daniel raised his voice, looking to his brother who was visibly confused and wondered if he did anything wrong.

"Uhh… sure…?" A bead of sweat formed on Samuel's face because of his puzzled state and wondering what the hell happened.

Daniel looked down at the arena, looking at the trainers battling and working with their pokemon. " _The Pokemon League isn't just some place to see who's the strongest… it's a place where trainers and pokemon alike can achieve their dreams. We all have goals, I want to beat Samuel to earn respect and Lucas joined because his family was depending on him to win for the survival of his family. But now, Lucas is defeated and now, he is depending on me to win. How could I be so naive, I'm no longer fighting for my own self desires, I'm not just fighting for my future, I'm fighting on behalf of my friends and all those who have had their dreams dashed… This is not a competition for fun, this is real life, and all my friends are counting on me to win and I won't let them down!"_ Daniel spoke in his head, Serena stared at him, and realized it wasn't anger that was plastered on his face, it was a new sense of determination and focus like she's never seen before. She smiled, admiring her friend and happy that he's more determined as ever to win opposed to the give-up cry baby she knew from before.

From a separate seat a bit of distance away, Calem could see Daniel's rage and how he moved. It was obvious the teen was angry, Calem found a bit of satisfaction upon seeing this and it made him smile slightly. " _Hmph, I can have some fun with this after all._ " He thought to himself, closing his eyes as he relaxed in his seat and thought to himself.

The day was over and the next brackets were decided, everyone was flooding out of the stadium and heading out so they can prepare for the next day. Daniel had calmed down more by that point but he didn't quite get cheerful and maintained a mostly serious expression. Lucas had cheered up for sure knowing his goal isn't completely ruined and he can rely on his teacher now to carry on. Serena had a lot on her mind, and wanted to speak about it with someone. She looked around and found Andres, she knew him and Daniel were pretty close on some level so she figured she could talk to him about it. She made her way over and tapped on his shoulder, the teen looked around with a poker face and asked what she wanted. Serena and Andres broke out of the crowd and walked together behind everyone as the man had his hands shoved in his pocket.

"Andres, there's something I wanted to talk about but I'm not sure who to talk to about it, So I wanted to talk to you cuz I figured you're the best person to talk to about it. Promise you won't tell anyone, alright?" She requested, Andres nodded, promising to the young woman.

"So what did you want to talk about exactly?" Andres questioned, looking around nonchalantly but focusing on his hearing so he can listen to Serena.

"Well… the things is… I think I've developed a little bit of a crush on Daniel… and I don't really know what to do with it, he's busy with these battles so I don't want to interrupt him… but… I don't know… do you think he likes me back? I asked him about it before but he didn't directly answer my question. What do you think?"

Andres threw up his eyebrows a bit, but looked off towards the sky. He was very surprised to say the least that the girl Daniel loved had developed a crush on him after all. He thought to himself but it became apparent he had left the girl hanging and needed to answer her. "Well… best thing I can tell you is to just cheer him on for now, he cares about you a lot but I would advise letting him be with these battles. Cheering him on and showing your support could help him win, knowing you're on his side."

Serena's face lit up, now realizing that was probably the best thing to do for now. "Thank you Andres, I needed that."

"Mhm." was all he said, he double-checked if that was all and it was so he moved ahead to catch up with his friends. Serena stopped, looking at her crush and smiling as she clasped her hands together.

"Daniel… good luck…" she murmured, now taking steps forward to meet up.

As Daniel and the Holy GADZ approached the room, the mysterious stone (still within Daniel's backpack) grew brighter and brighter, it has never been this bright before. Daniel opened the door and saw that his backpack was lit up. The others didn't notice but the teen walked over to the bag and opened it up and when he did, the light died down, simply revealing the stone. "What the…" Daniel said, grabbing the stone and when he did, his pupils turned a dark red without him knowing. He inspected the stone but just dropped it, dismissing the light and his eyes turned back to normal. " _Whatever… I have a big day ahead of me so I can't afford to waste my time._ " Daniel thought to himself before crashing on his bed and falling asleep.


	20. Chapter 20, Rivals

"And Daniel Barsony wins! He advances to the semi-finals! Give it up for Daniel Barsony!" The announcer declared the victor, causing the crowd to explode with cheers. Daniel stood there, shoving Bisharps pokeball into his pocket and staring off as the wind blew against him. "Such ferocity! The Barsony brothers sure are alike, defeating their opponents left and right with such unrivaled strength!" Daniel turned around, marching back to the stands. Once he made it back, he was greeted with compliments from his friends as he moved towards his seat.

After Daniel heard about what happened to Lucas and his resolve to win, Daniel has taken it upon himself to win in his place. He no longer took the league as a fun competition and treated it seriously. He didn't hold back with his fights, opting to end his fights as fast as possible. Daniel had just finished his quarter-final round and Samuel as well including the one individual with the Charizard X from the beginning. Daniel looked over to the only other person who was still in the game, his rival and good friend, Andres. The teen stood up, leaving the area to initiate his battle.

Daniel crossed his arms, looking down at the arena which was being changed as usual, " _If Andres wins this one, which he most likely will, it'll be down to us four, the chances of me fighting either Andres or Samuel are really high… also that Alan guys or whatever his name is, we'll just have to see how things turn out once Andres finishes this battle._ ".

Serena looked over to Daniel and grew concerned, knowing an important battle will be coming up soon for Daniel and that'll be the "make it or break it" battle for the League. All she could think to do is wish him luck and cheer him on as he battles the next day. Ash already lost to the league as Calem predicted to the one with Charizard X before the quarterfinals.

It took merely a couple minutes for Typhlosion to decimate his opponent and be declared the victor. Daniel looked down at Typhlosion and Andres and furrowed his brows, thinking to himself " _Those two have been holding back… but that leaves the question… how much are they holding back?_ " He questioned, making a "hmm" sound out loud which got Serena's attention but he dismissed it saying he was just thinking to himself which was the case.

The day was done and over with and so, everyone left the stadium one by one. The lineups were revealed to be: Alan vs Samuel & Daniel vs Andres. Daniel and Andres didn't say much to each other besides nodding their heads to each other in acknowledgement and went to bed for the night.

The next day…

"Samuel Barsony won folks! As expected from the beginning, the Unbeatable Champion will be participating in the finals, but now, we go to our semi-final battle of the Pokemon League… Challengers Daniel and Andres, two interesting individuals with very powerful pokemon will be going head to head in a bit… who will win? Who will prevail?! Find out in a bit folks… after these messages." It cut to commercial break, Samuel breezed through his fight with Alan as expected and they went their separate ways. This was the que for both Daniel and Andres to get up and go. They looked to each other once more, and nodded before turning their backs to each other and heading down.

Daniel pulled out the mysterious stone, looking at it and gripping it tightly. He started to think of it as a good luck charm, so he took it with him for this battle because he was anxious about it. Soon, Andres and Daniel made it to each others sides of the arena, the arena selected was a flat arena arena with a floor made of rock. Daniel and Andres made eye contact, tossing their pokeballs simultaneously and releasing their pokemon. Daniel remembered his very first battle with Andres which went poorly for him and Bisharp, " _Andres, you're the one person I couldn't beat besides Samuel. That changes today, I have to win because I have people counting on me to win, but I know you won't go down without a fight._ " He thought to himself, clenching his fist and biting his lip out of nervousness.

Andres looked upon his rival and friend, thinking back to their first battle and how he got to witness first-hand, Daniel's improvement as a person and trainer. " _Daniel, I know you have reasons to be fighting, more so than I. But I came to this league in particular because I'm promised a challenge, I want to win. So we'll have to see who'll win. Typhlosion's natural talent Or Bisharps hard work? we shall find out soon enough._ "

Daniel spoke up, raising his voice to get Andres's attention, "Hey Andres! No hard feelings for this battle, right?"

Andres looked up, staring at his rival and smirking back, "Yeah, no hard feelings." They closed their eyes, calming down to focus on the challenge ahead.

" _The rematch we've been waiting for…_ "

" _Is about to begin."_

The announcer began to speak "It appears both contestants are ready to battle! Without any further ado… Let the battle begin!"

Both rivals eyes shot open as they told themselves, " _NOW!_ ", Bisharp charged at Typhlosion, keeping a close eye on his large opponent. Typhlosion charged up a blast and fired off a series of small fire projectiles at Bisharp. Daniel's pokemon hopped around from side to side, dodging them all effortlessly. Bisharp jumped up, preparing to punch Typhlosion but was caught off guard. Typhlosion timed his attack, moving and slamming his body into Bisharp which in turn, knocked the pokemon away. Bisharp rolled on the floor non-stop, but the Dark-steel pokemon regained its senses and caught onto the ground to stop itself. Bisharp sprung back to his feet, charging at Typhlosion once more.

The fire pokemon whipped his head upwards, building up fire and releasing a flamethrower from his mouth towards Bisharp. The pokemon jumped up, dodging the attack, Typhlosion moved the attack upwards in response to this. Bisharp spun around sideways allowing himself to evade the attack and land back on his feet. Typhlosion prepared another attack but was too late, Bisharp covered his feet with the aura and propelled himself forward while hardening his head. The dark-steel pokemon hit Typhlosion with his head blade at full force making his opponent cough in pain. Andres's pokemon erupted in flames, created a barrier of fire which blew Bisharp away from it.

Bisharp got back on his feet, keeping his distance now as Typhlosion was now obscured by the barrier. A large fireball was shot up into the air, going higher and higher. Daniel and his partner looked up, covering their eyes from the sun and tried to focus on the sphere. The ball of flame exploded and with it, followed an incoming shower of flame projectiles. It was an arena-wide attack and there was no way to dodge this. Bisharp put his arms up in front of him for protection and awaited the projectiles.

Andres and his pokemon seized upon this opportunity to attack, a small concentrated beam emerged from the flames and struck the arena behind Bisharp. In an instant, the beam zoomed across vertically, creating a wall of flame where it hit. Bisharp cursed to himself, jumping up into the air to dodge the beam and looked back up to see he was about to get hit by the fire projectiles. Bisharps eyes dilated and he panicked. The dark-steel pokemon curled up into a ball, then shooting his arms and legs outwards as he encased himself with a crimson aura as he was struck. The rain of fire hit the arena and it all came together to create a massive fire higher than the trainers.

The flames died down until they were knee-high and ferocious. Daniel looked around for his partner to see he was still in the air and the aura was gone. Bisharp flipped backwards and landed on his feet as he touched the floor. He almost fell over upon landing because his knees almost gave out but it was temporary.

Typhlosion still had the shield covering him but not for long. The flames began to retract and merged with Typhlosion's natural flames, the pokemon opened its mouth and hot steam emitted from it. Bisharp saw this and then realized something, his feet were burning up, causing him to jump up and down repeatedly.

"Why's Bisharp jumping around like that?" Serena asked, noticing the pokemon jumping around.

George put his hand on his chin, and thought of an answer to it, "I think I know what Andres, or Typhlosion was doing. I think their plan was to render Bisharp immobile and by doing this, they set the arena on fire to burn Bisharp. Bisharps agile on his own and is capable of dodging his attacks, so to compensate, Typhlosion set the arena on fire to constantly hurt Bisharp while at the same time limiting his speed. So in a way, they've created their very own field effect, like how snow pokemon have hail, but Typhlosion has this." .

"Wow, that Typhlosion is amazing." Tierno complimented, his compliment being followed up with others from within the crowd.

In the VIP spectator area where Dianthe, the champion sits, sat Professor Sycamore observing the battle. He looked down towards Daniel and remembered his odd request, His request being if Sycamore knew of any way for pokemon to change their types. Their reasoning was to get stronger but it appears they've managed on their own now and is putting their new skills and power to the test.

All the heat generated by the fire made it hard for Bisharp to breath, forcing the pokemon to take deep breaths as he continuously got burnt. Bisharp was brainstorming ideas but his mind was scrambled because of all this heat, and the only idea that came to mind was to charge at Typhlosion because standing still was not going to get him anywhere. Typhlosion fired a blast of blue flames, it started off relatively small but it absorbed the flames from the ground and making it expand exponentially. Bisharp stopped his advance and his pupils shrunk as the blast became too large for him to dodge. Bisharp frantically put his arms up but it wasn't enough.

There was a massive explosion from the impact, it pushed back the air and created a shockwave so powerful that everyone in the stadium could feel the force of it. The wind blew hard against the trainers down below, Daniel's hair was blown all the way back and he was forced to keep his eyes closed or else it would dry out way too fast. The sound of the blast made the trainers and their pokemons ears buzz like crazy and it gave them all a headache. Daniel could feel something move past him incredibly quick which made the boy flinch and turn around to see Bisharp roughly sliding on the ground.

"Bisharp!" Daniel yelled out, his voice was muffled because of his hearing but ran over to his partner regardless. He knelt down, putting his hand on Bisharp but took it back upon feeling Bisharps scorching hot body and cursing to himself. Bisharp groaned because of the pain, he was burn all over but he could still move properly. Bisharp got up with Daniels help, and the partners walked back to the arena together.

The fire had died down significantly and wasn't as much of a pest as it was before. Andres smirked, seeing that they were still going.

"Can you keep going?!" Andres called out to them.

"Yeah! We're just getting started." Daniel assured Andres, letting his pokemon hop back into the fight to continue. "Let's do it, Bisharp."

Bisharp nodded, the two of them closed their eyes and concentrated and entered this zone, a state of concentration. The air around Bisharp was displaced, as a red mist emitted from Bisharps body. Bisharp and Daniel shouted together as the familiar crimson aura bursted from within Bisharp and replaced the red mist. Daniel and Bisharp assumed the same pose, the pokemon growled as the aura around it grew larger by the second. The partners crossed their arms diagonally in front of them, Bisharps eyes turned a bright red with Typhlosion able to see the glow as clear as day. Bisharp threw his arms to his side as his aura expanded quickly, it blew up in size, blowing the air towards every direction. All the fire in the arena was put out, Typhlosion uncovered his eyes, looking at the now-transformed Bisharp with a large aura. The aura slowly shrunk down to an appropriate size to envelope the pokemon. Daniel and his pokemon assumed the same fighting stance.

Bisharp lunged forward, in a second, he closed in on Typhlosion and threw a punch. The punch made Typhlosion roughly spit out in pain, Bisharp dug his fist into Typhlosion but when it stopped, he was repelled back. The Dark-Steel pokemon did a back handspring and lunged forward again getting an extra sidekick on Typhlosion. The hit made Typhlosion cough and groan painfully but the fire pokemon growled afterwards. The flame pelt on Typhlosions back expanded, wrapping his right arm with blue flames as the pokemon brought its arm back. The fire pokemon punched Bisharp, creating a small blast from the impact knocking Bisharp away.

Daniel's pokemon did a series of twirls and flips mid-air, landing on his feet but slid backwards slightly.

Bisharp charged at Typhlosion, Andres' pokemon fired multiple scorching rays towards Bisharp but the pokemon was quick. Daniel's pokemon bobbed and weaved around the attacks, advancing on its target. Once the dark-steel pokemon was close, he jumped up and did a kick at Typhlosion and used his enemy to ascend in the air and attempt another attack on the large pokemon's head. Fortunately for Typhlosion, this was a free attack and so, he unleashed a point-blank flamethrower in Bisharps face. Bisharp was burnt all over, and sent flying back once more. The Dark-Steel pokemon regained its footing and found several projectiles heading his direction. The pokemon reignited his aura, slapping away and redirecting the projectiles.

While Bisharp was distracted Typhlosion built up an incredible amount of fire for a special trick. He got down on all fours, pointing his head towards Bisharp and charging up his attack. Bisharp had finished deflecting all the attack and gasped when he saw Typhlosion readying for a more powerful one.

"Try this." Typhlosion challenged, firing a concentrated ball of fire towards Bisharp. The pokemons eyes widened, as he attempted to block this one. The attack hit, creating yet another large explosion consuming the entire area and knocking both trainers to the ground. The blast was large enough to create a small tremor in the area that everyone felt . Everyone's jaws dropped, people held onto something because of the tremors out of fear.

Black smoke covered the entire area, both trainers were coughing uncontrollably, and attempted to blow away the smoke so they can get fresh air. There was an ominous silence following suit, and everyone was at the edge of their seats, wondering what happened. The smoke began to clear to reveal flames and eventually, Typhlosion. The large pokemon was still garrisoned on the ground, panting slightly and beginning to feel tired. On Daniel's side, Bisharps feet were dug into the ground and his arms were still up but very wobbly. The pokemon was burnt from the top down. Bisharp somewhat collapsed, falling to one knee and catching himself as he panted heavily opposed to typhlosion.

Typhlosion saw Bisharp, noticing his condition and commenting "You should give up, you know I am holding back so-"

"Shut up." Bisharp snapped back as he forced himself back on his feet, "I'm not done yet… I'll keep fighting until I've taken you down!" Bisharp exclaimed, trying to now regain his senses as he was overcome with vertigo.

"We know you're holding back, Typhlosion, and that pisses us off…!" Daniel retorted.

In the stands, all of Daniel's friends grew concerned and began to think he was pushing himself too much. Serena clasped her hands together and grew increasingly worried for her crush, she unintentionally bit her lip as a result of her worry. " _Please Daniel…_ " She thought to herself.

All the smoke cleared and everything was visible, a lot of the rock in the arena had deformed because of all the fire causing it to melt. Unfortunately, there was still raging fires covering parts of the arena. Andres sighed, knowing they were at their limit, they could not pull out any more tricks because this was their limit while Typhlosion was still holding back. Andres spoke up in a disappointed tone, "Look, Daniel, I hate to be that guy but you're going to lose. This battle is going to turn out like it did last time."

Typhlosion agreed with his trainer and speaking up as well, "I am inclined to agree, you two are-"

The fire pokemon was cut off by Daniel, "That! That right there is why we're fighting right now. You're underestimating us, wanting us to forfeit the match and get it over with because we're not worth your time."

"T-that's not what I said." Andres stuttered, feeling a little bad now for what he said.

"If that's not what you're saying, then what is it?! Cuz it sure sounds like you're telling us to give up this fight because we don't stand a chance, because we're giving it our all and you're sitting there comfortably at whatever percentage of power you're at."

Bisharp continued, "We've spent our whole lives like this, being looked down upon and being disrespected because we couldn't uphold the standards set in front of us. Time and time again we're considered weaklings, so we had to get stronger to change their minds. Deoxys was our milestone, that's what we were compared to all the time. I'm sick of it! I want to prove to the entire world I can win, I want to prove myself and my strength to the entire world because I was thought of as a weakling with no blades."

"As long as we continued to be looked down upon, we won't stop fighting. We'll continue to get stronger together until we've defeated you and Samuel together!"

Andres and Typhlosion stood there, furrowing their brows and taking in what their rivals said. Bisharp stepped forward, locking his eyes with his opponents and was ready.

"Let's go! BISHARP!"

"RIGHT!" The pokemon yelled, they assumed the same posture as Bisharp's aura appeared and spike upwards. They both shouted together, causing the aura to burst and expand even more. They gritted their teeth as they strove for more power, attempted to gain more strength. The aura created a rough breeze which blew hard against Typhlosion, and blowing away the dust within the arena.

Daniel began to recollect his past, remembering the insults that were thrown at him, Serena who helped him, Andres and his friends who helped him get stronger, and Samuel, the obstacle he must overcome, and the promise he made to Lucas to win.

Bisharp's arms started to blink repeatedly but slowly with a magenta light. Bisharp thought back on the times he was discarded, treated like trash for not being like the others and being an outcast for his weak strength. It was Daniel who accepted him because they were both looked down upon. It was thanks to Daniel he has a chance of redeeming himself, showing his worth to the world and defeating the pinnacle of strength which looked down upon him, Deoxys.

"No more will we be held back! I promised you all that I wouldn't ever lose! And that's exactly what I intend to do!" Bisharp and Daniel exclaimed together, the pokemon was then covered with a shell of purple light as neon rays shot outwards from the shell.

"What's happening to them?!" The announcer questioned, everyone watched in awe as they watched Bisharp change. Bisharp yelled, now with red lightning occasionally shooting out from the shell. The light grew brighter and brighter by the second, blinding everyone. "It appears Bisharp is changing once more! But how?!"

Samuel smirked, proud of his little brothers strength, "There you go buddy, show the world what you got."

One more powerful yell was heard as the light died down. Everyone unblocked their eyes and once they looked at Bisharp, their jaws dropped as the pokemon had indeed changed once more. Typhlosion was shocked to say the least from the current events and had no words to describe what he saw.

Bisharp aura was now of a brighter red color and more calm and wavy opposed to the ferocious crimson aura from before. Though Bisharps appearance did not change much, there was something new standing out. On Bisharps arms, were magenta colored blades of light extending from his arm.

"This is everything we got, Typhlosion!" Bisharp informed, Andres and his partner speechless, watching as their opponent began to slowly take steps towards them. Bisharps new blades were cutting through the ground seamlessly like a hot knife through butter.

Bisharp was on the attack, he zoomed towards Typhlosion at an incredible speed. " _He's faster than he was before!_ " Typhlosion noted, firing off a an inferno blast towards Bisharp. The blade pokemon jumped up into the air, doing a vertical slash downwards with his blade and created a projectile to counter it. The slash sliced the blast in half as it moved. The projectile continued onwards, hitting Typhlosion before he could process it. The attack left a bruise and a cut where it hit. Typhlosion charged up a more powerful blast and shot a continuous beam of fire at Bisharp. The Dark steel pokemon went in for another slash, managing to slice the beam in two as he descended to the floor.

Daniel's pokemon continued to walk towards the opponent, not removing their eyes from their opponent. Typhlosion shouted, covering itself with a flame pelt and got on all fours and charging towards Bisharp. Bisharp continued to walk, unphased by the large beast heading towards them. Daniel and his partner grunted, with the pokemon jumping over typhlosion, twirling around mid-air and landing on his feet. The large pokemon saw this and immediately halted, whipping around and firing a beam of flames towards Bisharp. Bisharp did a backflip, doing a slash with his blade and created a projectile which hit its opponent.

Typhlosion fired off a volley of fireballs towards Bisharp, the dark steel pokemon prepared itself and began slicing and dicing away at the attacks. With each slice, each attack was cut in half and disintegrated. Andres' pokemon built up a massive ball of flame and fired it towards the opposing pokemon. Bisharp ran towards it, jumping up and doing several slashes towards the incoming projectile and cutting it into several pieces. Daniel's pokemon passed through the fire, diving towards Typhlosion and throwing a punch. Typhlosion put its arm up to block and the blade ended up piercing through the arm. The pokemon yelled in pain, instantly shooting out a flamethrower. Bisharp pushed himself off, evading the attack and coming in close. Bisharp lunged forward at Typhlosion, going in knee-first into Typhlosions stomach and making the big pokemon cough out. The Dark Steel pokemon hopped off, spinning around and building up momentum for a kick at his opponent's side. The hit was powerful enough to push Typhlosion a couple feet. Andres' pokemon spat out as a result of this, choking up and trying to catch its breath. Typhlosion blasted an attack towards the ground in front of Bisharp. The attack was so sudden and quick that it was impossible to dodge. Daniel's pokemon was knocked away as a result of the blast and he slid on the floor on his back.

The fire pokemon panted repeatedly, looking at his injured arm and decided to deal with it. He spewed out a stream of fire over the top of the injury, cauterizing it but injuring himself as well and making his arm tense up immensely. Bisharp was still on his back, he opened his eyes and hopped back up, feeling pain all over. Both pokemon looked to each other, everything became quiet and the only sound that could be heard was the still raging fire. They turned towards each other and nodded. Bisharp advanced towards Typhlosion and the fire pokemon did the same. Typhlosion covered itself with the pelt and became faster as a result. Bisharp crossed his blades together in a X-shape, both pokemon were close as they shouted. Both of them collided, and passed by each other, landing their attacks.

Typhlosion stopped, and his flame pelt went away as a X-shaped cut was made on the pokemons torso. Andres's pokemon coughed up a little blood from the attack but turned around to face Bisharp. Daniel's pokemon stood there, his blades were cracked and shattered as a result. Bisharp got back up on his feet, turning around to face Typhlosion. The two pokemon looked at each other, breathing heavily because of their exhaustion and their injuries.

Andres smirked, surprised that Daniel and Bisharp could keep going, "I'm impressed, you really are my greatest rival, Daniel. Look at you go, you couldn't even do this much damage to Typhlosion before, look how much you've improved. You are indeed a worthy opponent."

Daniel grew irritated with the compliment, not because it was a compliment but because there was a contradiction with what he said. "Same here, Andres, you're my greatest rival. You've pushed me to do better and improve myself to earn the respect I've wanted. I've learned to give it my all and put 100% into my fights… but Andres… what about you?! Huh?! You're still holding back!"

"Daniel, you know damn well why we have to hold back, I told you all about it during our training."

"And?! What about now?! You've been a supporting pillar for me! You've helped me get stronger, you've made me go all out against you but what am I to you?! Am I not worth it?! Is this all some sort of game to you?!"

"Daniel, you are my rival, you made me train so I can battle using more power. Rivals are supposed to help each other improve and get better."

"I get that! Bisharp and I are battling right now, giving it our 100% yet you're still holding back! Rivals help each other improve, Rivals give it their all in the fights because they're passionate about it, but you're still holding back… If you refuse to go all out against me… THEN YOU DON'T DESERVE TO CALL YOURSELF MY RIVAL!" Daniel yelled the last bit at the top of his lungs, making his point across.

Typhlosions eyes dilated, he remembered the time he killed a poor innocent pokemon because he couldn't control his power. He was treated like an outcast and people wanted to kill him too. Andres saved him and for his entire life afterwards, he never understood why he was born with this power or if he deserved it, he was always forced to keep it in check. But, for the first time in his life, he's encouraged, he's being asked to use his full power. The same power which took away a life, the same power that they desire to see now. Being honest to himself, he didn't want to but there was another emotion there he never felt before, it was excitement.

"So… if you really want to call yourself my rival… THEN COME AT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, YOU HEAR ME ANDRES?!" Daniel shouted as loud as he can, Andres was speechless and taken aback by this. Typhlosion stood there, curling his hand into a fist and feeling more excited by the minute, it almost made him smile but he couldn't bring himself to.

Typhlosion's eyes widened, his breath hitched and finally, he can admit that he was excited now, he can finally go all out.

A vortex of blue flames surrounded Typhlosion as it exploded outwards, emitting a powerful shockwave blowing everything back. The flames were massive, it was gargantuan in size, as it pushed the wind. The wind blew against Daniel's hair as it hit him and his partner. Daniel grinned confidently, looking at the sight of Typhlosion's flames.

" _He was holding back that much… huh? Wow… I guess I can see why they held back now._ " Daniel commented, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.

"So… Daniel, now that we've brought the heat… you think you can take it?" Andres asked, grinning back to his rival.

"Heh, won't know until I try."

"I'm not going to take responsibility for what happens next."

"Give it your best shot."

Geysers of blue flames shot from under the ground, shaking the arena. The stream of flames redirected itself, zooming towards Bisharp at blinding speeds. Typhlosion blinked and Bisharp was high in the air, effectively dodging the attack. The flames reared towards Bisharp, the Dark Steel pokemon slid down the stream of flames as it descended. Daniel's pokemon locked eyes with its target and launched itself towards Typhlosion. A current of flames shot up from the ground in front of Typhlosion, moving towards Bisharp. The Dark Steel Pokemon did an x-slash with his blades, barrowly passing through and dive-kicking towards Typhlosion. The large pokemon felt the pain, throwing his rival off and summoning more powerful flames. The ground under Bisharp shook as fire shot out from the ground, knocking Bisharp back and scorching him. The Dark Steel pokemon flipped backwards, sliding on the ground on stopping himself with his hands and feet. Daniel and his partner looked up, only to see a gatling gun of fire projectiles were headed their way. Bisharp stepped back, doing a series of flips and handsprings to avoid the barrage.

"Look at that, it's so fast!" George commented, his eyebrows thrown all the way up. Everyone watched in awe at the spectacle of the fight.

Daniel mimicked Bisharp's movements as the pokemon moved around the flames to get close to Typhlosion. Bisharp jumped up into the air, landing in the center of the arena as flames emerged from within the ground to converge on his position. Daniel and Bisharp crouched slightly before jumping up. Bisharp propelled himself into the air, evading the scorching flames. Both trainers were sweating because of the intensity of the heat and even the watching audience felt significantly warmer than before.

" _Daniel… so that was your intention? To get Andres and Typhlosion to go all out? You did it because you wanted to beat them at their best, and beat them fair and square, didnt you? You really are something, aren't you? Now they're both giving it their all to win._ " George thought to himself, smiling because of the battle he was witnessing.

Bisharp did several consecutive slashes towards Typhlosion while in the air, spawning several projectiles. Typhlosion looked up, manipulating the fire to head upwards towards Bisharp while using a stream to protect him from the projectiles. Bisharp maneuvered around the currents, leaping off of one from another and slowly descending until they got a good view on Typhlosion. He pushed himself off, launching himself towards the large pokemon and throwing a mighty punch. The punch made Typhlosion spit out a bit of blood, making it angry and a flame shield erupted from Typhlosion once more and yelling. Bisharp was thrown off but he regained his footing, doing several back handsprings to gain some distance. Bisharp made it back to his side of the arena, anticipating his opponents next move. The ground shook slightly from under him, cracks forming underneath Bisharp. The pokemon lost its balance as the ground shattered underneath him and a massive beam of fire shot up, getting a direct hit on Bisharp. Daniel's pokemon was flung in the air, landing on the ground roughly.

" _Daniel, never in a million years would I have imagined anyone surviving against Typhlosion at 100%. You're incredible, I only wished this moment could last a little longer because I'm loving it."_ Andres thought to himself, smiling in response.

" _Andres, THIS is the type of battle I wanted to have with you, and I'm glad you finally decided to go all out but now..._ " Daniel thought to himself, a burning determination in his eyes, Bisharp got back on his feet now. "LET'S END THIS, RIGHT NOW!" Daniel's eyes dilating as Bisharp and his partner got into the same fighting pose, yelling from the top of their lungs together. An aura exploding from Bisharps body, expanding to match Typhlosion's flames. The aura causing a very strong gust of wind to blow against everything.

Typhlosion got on all fours and whipped his head upwards as he created an enormous fireball above him. The ball of scorching hot flames cycled in place, spinning slowly and menacingly. The two powers created a wind so strong it knocked Daniel and Andres fell back as they were slowly blown away, unable to regain footing. Everyone in the stadium had to start holding onto something and holding onto their possessions to make sure they don't lose it.

"HOLY COW! These guys are insane, they'll destroy everything!" The announcer screamed, causing everyone to panic but plenty of other people got more excited at this.

Typhlosion's attack shrinking as it turned into a compressed sphere in front of Typhlosion, the sphere changing colors from blue to white and the intensity increased exponentially.

Bisharp sprung himself high in the air towards Typhlosion, intending to finish this fight. Dozens of flames exploded from the ground, chasing after Bisharp as he closed in on Typhlosion. Typhlosion aimed at Bisharp, charging the attack causing a wave of flames to flow backwards as it was being prepared.

" _We're going to win this!_ " Daniel and Bisharp exclaimed to themselves, the mysterious stone started to float as it got out of Daniel's pocket, exploding in a white light. Daniel managed to get up, his eyes turning red, and a bright blue aura engulfed Daniel and his partner. Typhlosion fired the attack, the attack leaving a scorching hot trail as it surged towards Bisharp. Daniel and Bisharp yelled together as they both threw a punch in unison.

" _Bisharp, Daniel… thank you._ " Typhlosion thought.

Both attack collided at the same time, the fireball exploded, first creating a field of flames that spun around before shrinking and exploding. The blast blew everything away, any small item was blown high into the air as everyone in the stadium held onto something for dear life. The entire area was shaking ferociously, and the challengers were caught inside the explosion itself. Everyone screamed, the air tried to come to the center of the arena but spiraled around, creating a tornado of fire in the center. Everyone felt the intense heat of the fire tornado as it spun continuously. After a minute, the tornado died down, leaving only a cloud of smoke obscuring the entire arena. Everyone sat there speechless, wide eyed, and baffled.

Everything slowly became darker and darker, the audience looked upwards to see dark-grey clouds soaring above them all as drop of water rained from the sky, followed with another one until it began to drizzle. "I… I can't believe it… their attack was so strong… It changed the weather!" The announcer stated, everyone covering themselves as best they can as it began to pour hard. the smoke eventually clearing to reveal the arena and everyone there.

Daniel and Andres lay on the ground, most of their clothing incinerated, and their entire body burnt and far away from the arena itself. Typhlosion stood there, at the very edge, injured and heavily bruised. Andres' pokemon panted, trying to see everything. Everyone's jaw dropped when the smoke cleared the arena, or, lack thereof. There was a gigantic crater within the arena and at the very bottom of it, Bisharp stood. The pokemon was still standing but was devoid of all color. The only colors defining the pokemon was black and grey as it stood there like a statue.

Daniel and Andres got up with extreme difficulty, the rain cooling them off but it still didn't dismiss the excruciating pain the both of them felt. They both felt like they were thrown into a pool of boiling water and left there. They were both trembling, groaning in pain. Typhlosion stared at Bisharp, and Andres stared at Daniel. Bisharps head moved slightly, looking back at Typhlosion. The tall pokemons body froze, seeing Bisharp staring back at him, the cold red glow of Bisharps eyes intimidated Typhlosion which surprised him. Daniel got up, his bangs casting a shadow over his eyes. The trainer finally stood up straight, opening his closed eyes to reveal his red pupils slowly turning black.

"We're not… done yet…" Daniel muttered, almost falling over but caught himself. To say Andres was impressed would be an understatement, same went for Typhlosion. Daniel and Bisharp maintained their determined look, they were not about to give up.

With this in mind, Andres smiled, making a "hmph" sound. Typhlosion looked back at Andres, confused by the sound. Andres looked up and declared, "I give up." Typhlosion and Bisharp were confused while Daniel became infuriated.

"Challenger Andres surrenders?" The announcer asked.

"I give up, I'm done."

"Challenger Andres forfeits, that makes Daniel Barsony the winner!"

Everyone in the audience erupted into cheers. Daniel's eyes dilated and he breathed heavily from how angry he was. "WHAT THE HELL ANDRES!" Daniel yelled, trudging toward the arena, Andres moved towards it as well. "I WANTED AN ALL OUT BATTLE, NOT A FUCKING FORFEIT!"

Andres merely chuckled, Typhlosion grabbed Andres and brought him to the bottom of the arena where Bisharp was. Daniel, through extreme difficulty, made it down there too. Andres continued to chuckle, pissing Daniel off.

"What's so funny?!"

"Daniel, we both went all out. We gave it our all and we ended up getting the most satisfying battle I've ever had. I don't know if you noticed but at that last instant, at the very last moment, you were stronger than me." Andres explained.

Daniel's eyes grew wide, his eyebrows thrown up.

"Because of this, there's no one else I respect more than you. I wouldn't say you legitimately beat me buuuut, I do want a rematch."

"B-but… why do this?" Daniel questioned.

"Well, I want to have a battle where nothing's at stake, cuz you're still holding onto all of your promises. You have the promise you made to Lucas, you have your promise you made to Samuel, and you have your promise you made for us and Serena. As much as I wanted to win, Daniel, I didn't want to be the one to ruin your hopes and dreams. So there you have it, you won."

"W-wow… I'm at a loss for words..."

"You gave me the best fight of my life, I couldn't ask for a better challenge or opponent. I initially thought it would be Samuel, but, I'm more glad it was you... Remember our first battle?"

"Yeah… that ended… well…"

Andres chuckled once more, looking up in the sky, and taking a deep breath. The rain stopped and the clouds slowly parted, beams of light shooting through.

"If I'm being honest, I thought you were weak, I thought you had no potential. But you proved me wrong, BIG TIME. And now, I can confidently say this:-"

Daniel stood there, anticipating what Andres would say. The entire stadium was silenced, listening to the conversation and waiting for Andres to say something. The clouds disappeared and the light hit everything now.

"If there's anyone that can take down Samuel Barsony, it's you."

Daniel felt a tug at his heart and he choked up from hearing those words. Never in his life was he ever told confidently by anyone he could defeat his brother so this was a first. Daniel smiled, looking to his friend and putting his hand out. "Thanks, I won't let you down bud."

Andres took his hand and shook it, smiling back, "You better."

In the stands, Serena began to cry tears of joy, observing Daniel overcome one of his greatest obstacles and is well on his way to battling his older brother, Samuel, everyone felt satisfied and content after watching that long and intense battle. Both pokemon were returned to their pokeball and the trainers were taken to the hospital to be treated. The mysterious stone had returned to Daniels pocket and so when he was taken there, it was removed and left next to him as he lay in the hospital. Everyone stopped by to congratulate the both of them but they couldn't really stay awake long because they were both extremely tired and injured. The doctor then informed the crew that if Daniel can't get into a stable-enough condition by the next day, they will declare Samuel the winner or find an alternative. Samuel chuckled at a joke only he knew and wasn't going to explain until later. Everyone wished the two boys good luck and left the room. Daniel and Andres decided to hit the hay and get enough rest so they can go tomorrow. As Daniel closed his eyes, the mysterious stone lit up, covering Daniel's body in a bright outline.

Calem was still there, he had watched the whole thing from beginning to end. He grew more irritated as it went on, the more love Daniel received, the angrier Calem got. Serena is completely fawning over him, and his friends are sticking close to him too, showing the teen love as well. It appears everything he had, has been taken away by Daniel, his respect, his friends, and most importantly… Serena. He decided, he's going to settle things once and for all get what he wants while Daniel is incapacitated, tomorrow is where it will go down and he will finally get what he wants.

The next day…

The doctors came into the room, coming up to check on Daniel and were shocked with what they saw. While Andres was still bruised and had swelling, Daniel was completely fine as if nothing happened yesterday. He was already up as well, looking out the window.

"H-how are you…?" The doctors questioned, looking the teen up and down.

Daniel turned to the doctors, finishing their thought, "Healed? I don't know, I guess I got lucky."

"Indeed… well, if you weren't in a better condition, we would have to find an alternative or call it a forfeit for you. But I suppose you got lucky. So, Daniel Barsony, are you ready to battle your brother?"

Daniel smirked, saying "Yeah." as he got up. He then realized his green hoodie was disintegrated, his undershirt was alright but his pants were torn and burnt in some places. He was given a spare to use. Daniel grabbed the stone and left, ready to go.

"Ttttttthhhhiiiisss is it folks! The final battle between brothers Daniel Barsony and Samuel Barsony! Who will come out on top in this epic climactic battle to the Pokemon League! Find out soon enough in today's battle!" The crowd got rowdy, everyone at peak excitement for the final battle of the Pokemon League. All of Daniel's friends were ready to watch the battle, only ones not there was Serena and Andres but Andres was still in the hospital room, watching via the TV.

Daniel went up to the stands, greeted by all of his friends who were surprised by Daniels miraculous recovery. Daniel couldn't give them an answer because he too wasn't sure but thanked the stone for bringing him good luck. The teen then asked them where Serena was at but they didn't know, Clemont saying she had gone down to do something and would be back before the match started. Daniel walked up to his brother, both smiling at each other and ready to have their long awaited rematch today.

After enough waiting, they were called down to battle. They knew what to do, they knew what to expect and like that, they went their separate ways to head down.

Serena was waiting there patiently, within the corridor for Daniel. She had gone down to wish him good luck in person and thank him as well. She has an entire speech planned in her head, she giggled to herself, thinking about it until she was cut off by incoming footsteps. She turned around, and her eyes widened when she saw Calem walking towards her. Serena stepped back slowly, Calem had a cold stare as he moved closer and closer towards her until he stopped only a meter or two away.

"Hey, Serena." He said, his hands in his pocket. The man looked at Serena's physique from head to toe and secretly smiled to himself.

"H-hey Calem…" She said nervously, gulping as she had no idea why he was here.

"Tell me, Serena, how come you've been staying away from me, Serena?"

"I-I haven't… I thought you left so I stayed to support my friends…"

"Don't you know I get lonely too? I miss you."

Serena began to sweat out of anxiety, she was seriously uncomfortable and she has no idea why Calem is saying all this. "Alright…?"

"You don't understand…" Calem moves closer to Serena, she backed up still until she bumped into something. Serena looked and discovered what she bumped into, the wall. Serena looked back to Calem who was almost less than a meter in front of her. She began to get scared and her lips trembled as a result. "Serena, I only care about you, you're all that matters." He 'complimented', continuing to get closer.

"Calem… you're getting a bit close…" She stuttered, her voice barely coming out as a mumble.

"Serena… I love you." He said, immediately closing the gap between them.

/WARNING/WARNING/IF-YOU-ARE-SENSITIVE-AND-HAVE-LITTLE-TOLERANCE-TO-MATURE-CONTENT-PLEASE-SKIP-AHEAD-NOW/WARNING/WARNING/

(Authors note: PLEASE skip ahead to the the row of / if you really do not appreciate very mature content, you have been warned)

Calem forced himself onto her, they were mere centimeters apart as Calem forcfully groped Serena's breasts. This in turn made Serena moan out loud, she attempted to push the man off of her but he was physically stronger and her attempts to push him off didn't work. As Calem fondled one of her breasts, he started feeling around Serena's body with his other hand, caressing her sides and eventually her thighs. Serena felt so exploited and embarrassed, she continued to moan even though she didn't want to, and her heart raced rapidly.

Calem began to kiss around her face, but figured he had enough fun with the current part and wanted to move on to the next. Serena began to tear up, her tears streaming down her face as she was being molested and she couldn't fight back. Calem took his exploratory hand and begin to lift up Serena's shirt and feel her bare skin. The feeling of being exploited like this made her cry, she thought she was going to get raped and she cried even more.

Calem was enjoying this however, he's always wanted to do this, ever since he developed hormones, he's always imagined this type of situation with Serena, but in his dreams, she consented but he's alright with this. As long as nothing gets in his way, he could have all the fun he's ever wanted to have with Serena. So he continued, he lifted her shirt more, higher and higher until it barely reached her chest. He then took both his hands and slid them under the shirt as he caressed her. Serena winced, moaning when she didn't want to. She then screamed, calling out for help.

/

Daniel was walking, thinking to himself on how the battle was going to turn out, he had Bisharps pokeball in hand, just messing around with it to keep himself busy as he walked. Suddenly, he heard a scream, followed with a cry for help and the voice sounded familiar. He panicked, he began to speed up his walking until he was in a full-blown sprint, the mysterious stone hummed, generating a small light which made Daniel's pupils turn red. His speed increased and he was bolting as fast as he can down the hallway. He then heard moans and cries, the closer he got, the more his heart sank to his stomach because he could only imagine what the hell was going on. He turned the corner and there it was, Calem forcing himself onto Serena while she's exposed. He looked at Serena's face and saw the tears and blushing and to Calem who had a sadistic smile on his face.

Daniel's eyes dilated as a strain formed on his forehead, he clenched his fist and ran towards Calem.

Calem was continuing with his fun, slowly exposing more and more until he heard rapid footsteps heading his way. "GET OFF OF HER!" He heard the voice of Daniel howl, as the boy threw a punch at Calem knocking the man off of Serena and to the ground. His pupils turned back to normal and his heart was racing like crazy. He looked to Serena to see she had collapsed to her knees, she was covering herself up and crying.

"D-daniel…." she murmured, the voice was very quiet. Daniel looked to Calem and he was slowly filled with fury.

"Calem… what the HELL WERE YOU DOING TO HER?!" Daniel yelled at the top of his lungs, watching as the man got back up on his feet.

"Having fun, Daniel… look at you, acting like some hero when in reality, you're far from one YOU BASTARD!" Calem charged at Daniel, lunging his fists towards the teen. Daniel flinched as he got hit by the attack and staggered back. Daniel's nose hurt like hell and he felt something running down out of it. Calem went in for another punch but Daniel was more prepared, moving out of the way and throwing the man against the wall.

"Why are you doing this?!" Daniel yelled, hitting Calem with his elbow.

"Because…" He started, grabbing the teen and shoving him to the floor, "You ruined everything for me." He finished, climbing on top of the teen and throwing several punches at him. Daniel attempted to defend himself, trying to move the punches away as they came but to no avail as he took hit after hit from the man. Daniel's face was in constant pain and in a fit of rage, he grabbed Calem's shirt and pulled him in as he slammed his head against Calems. Calem got off the boy just a little, giving the boy enough room to bring his leg close and kick Calem away.

Serena felt so helpless, she couldn't do anything but watch and wheeped as a result. Daniel got off, breathing heavily and his nostrils flaring. Daniel then climbed over Calem and began dealing the same punishment back. Calem countered and grabbed ahold of Daniels neck firmly and squeezed hard. This made the teen gag and stop his assault on Calem as he tried his best to remove Calems hands. Daniel desperately tried to undo the man's grip but to no avail. His strength was weakening because he was being choked. Calem flipped the situation around so Calem was on top again, putting his weight into it and making Daniel scream out in pain as loud as he can even though it sounded gargled. Calem laughed slightly, enjoying what he was seeing as the teenager grew pale by the minute and his eyes rolled back.

Daniel's vision became blurred and everything started to turn to dark. " _Can't… breathe… Need… air… I'm gonna… die…._ " The teenager thought to himself, trying to fight back. Then, in the nick of time, Bisharp forced himself out of the pokeball, saw the situation and ran up to Calem, kicking the man in the face as hard as he can. Blood shot out of the man's nose as he was knocked onto his back. Bisharp knelt down to his best friend who was trying to catch his breath. He helped his dear friend back onto his feet while Daniel regained his senses and could process everything now.

Calem got up, turning around and running away, fleeing from the situation. Daniel immediately went to Serena who was still the same as she was before. Daniel put his hands on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her but she shook immensely, Daniel's touch made her whole body twitch. Daniel's heart sank, realizing what Calem had done to her, he saw her lifted up shirt and grabbed it, lowering it down for her.

"Serena… it's alright… it's just me." Daniel attempted to reassure her, she opened her eyes and called out to him but her voice was still weak. The boy helped Serena up, but she was weak in her knees and had a hard time standing. Daniel pulled her into a hug which made her squirm but Daniel maintainted the embrace so she can get comfortable. It took a minute before she stopped shaking and calmed down. "It's alright… it's alright… I'm here, I won't let you go."

"If Daniel Barsony doesn't show up soon! This will be an automatic forfeit!" the announcer said over the speakers, in the screens in the room, Samuel was simply standing there, his arms crossed.

"Shit… Alright, Bisharp, you go down to the arena and just do something to let them know I'll be down in a bit. I'll take Serena back up to everyone, alright?"

Both partners agreed, and they got to work. Bisharp ran down to the arena and managed to communicate to Samuel to wait and thus, Daniel was bought time. Daniel had his arm around Serena as he escorted her back, once he got up there, everyone freaked out over why Serena looked so terrified and Daniel was bruised. He had no time to explain and hurried back down.

As he ran to catch up to his partner, his mind was everywhere, he was enraged, concerned, terrified, and worried all at once. He wondered why Calem, one of his own friends would turn on him and molest Serena like that. He wondered why any of it happened but he had not time for that now, his big battle was about to start and he was not going to fail.

He made it, stepping up next to his partner and panting as he was out of breath from all the running.

"AAAAAnd Daniel Barsony made iiiiittttt! Now! Let's get onto the final battllllleeeee!" The announcer cheered. Samuel could not see the injuries which was a relief to Daniel because he did not want anyone being concerned over them right now.

"Took you long enough, Daniel, you ready to battle now?" Samuel asked, taking out Deoxys.

"Yeah, I've been ready." Daniel answered back, his pokemon stepped in front of him, and now, the fated final showdown was about to begin. Bisharp and Deoxys stared each other down, and clenched their fists.

"Let the final battle between Samuel and Daniel Barsony… BEGIN!"


	21. Chapter 21, the Final Battle

"Ttttttthhhhiiiisss is it folks! The final battle between brothers Daniel Barsony and Samuel Barsony! Who will come out on top in this epic climactic battle to the Pokemon League?!" The announcer stated, the crowd got excited, news helicopters were all over, pointing their cameras towards the arena. The camera men inside the stadium had close-ups of the arena itself, showing Daniel and Samuel standing on opposite sides of the their battlefield arena. Every possible camera was trained on them as this was being broadcasted to the whole world. Everyone from every region: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola were watching the battle.

Word got around to the entire world that the Unbeatable Champion was battling in the finals against his little brother and this sparked up hype for the fight. Everyone, every family had their televisions on, ready to watch the Unbeatable Champion in action and see if his little brother has what it takes to take down the Champion. The arena in which they were battling in was a rocky arena with varying elevations.

"Look, look! The battle's about to start guys!" May called out to her family, taking a seat on the couch and crossing her legs as she glued her eyes to the television. She saw Daniel and remembered the fact that not too long ago, he had come over to visit and now, it's taken him to the finals of the Pokemon League. Max and her father came downstairs, also taking a seat and preparing to watch the upcoming battle.

Daniel was breathing heavily, having just finished a fist fight and having to run all over the place to make sure everything's all right. His face ached slightly as it was still in pain from the punches, the image of Serena on the floor against the wall flashed in his head. He squinted his eyes, trying to forget what he saw but it immediately reminded him of his near-death experience following that. Daniel opened his eyes, shaking his head and making himself ignore those thoughts. " _No, I gotta focus on the battle. Everything's all right now so I don't need to worry, the guys are with Serena so she's safe from Calem… But now, I'm gonna battle Samuel, and the entire world is watching. I can't let my friends down._ "

"Took you long enough, Daniel, you ready to battle now?" Samuel asked, taking out Deoxys.

"Yeah, I've been ready." Daniel answered back, his pokemon stepped in front of him and assumed his fighting pose. Bisharp and Deoxys stared each other down, and clenched their fists.

"It appears both brothers are ready! Now… let the final battle between Samuel and Daniel Barsony… BEGIN!"

Everything was in place, no sound was made except for the wind blowing through. Everyone began to wonder why nothing has happened but down at the arena, it was suspenseful. All of Daniel's friends paid close attention to the battle, Andres had a stern expression, his arms crossed and looking at the arena. George, Zach, and Lucas were silent, no sound was made as the audience died down. Daniel's heart raced a little, he took a deep breath in order to calm himself.

Samuel watched, clearly able to see Daniel's concerned face, he's well aware of their improvement but is not sure how they'll deal with Deoxys.

" _I believe in you, Daniel, you can do this!_ " Serena thought to herself.

" _Come on man… hope you can use the advice I gave you…_ " George suggested in his head, getting impatient.

Bisharp's arm twitched, Deoxys' cold and unwavering stare towards him was still unsettling, even after all this time. A bead of sweat formed on Daniel's forehead as it raced down his face and fell off, splashing against the ground.

Bisharp started his assault, sprinting towards Deoxys at full speed and throwing a punch at him. As expected, they hit the shield, the legendary did not even twitch, it only moved its eyes to follow Bisharp. The Dark Steel pokemon spun around and kicked at the shield again, nothing. Bisharp hopped back, jumping into the air and spinning, slamming it's leg down on the barrier. Bisharp's foot was hurt, still nothing. Bisharp jumped off, his arm and leg hurting from hitting the barrier as hard as he can.

" _This is going to be a problem for Daniel if he can't create an opening… but it looks like Deoxys is taking his time to… observe Bisharp._ " Samuel thought, making a "hmm" sound as he watched.

Bisharp covered its arm with the aura, leaping towards his enemy and hitting the shield. Daniel's pokemon stepped back, covering its leg with aura and doing a spinning low kick but to no avail. The pokemon sighed, disappointed that nothing has changed and his base power couldn't do anything. Granted, he wasn't entirely surprised either because he's known for the longest time that Deoxys' shield is a difficult one. It stepped back away from the psychic pokemon, looking him up and down and nothing has changed and it has remained stationary.

"No good, we're gonna have to take it up a notch. Ready, Bisharp?" Daniel said to his partner who agreed. They assumed the same stance as Bisharp yelled and a red mist emitted from Bisharp and created a large gust of wind. The pokemon was consumed in a bright white light which formed into a shell covering him. The shell started to break into pieces as it crumbled from the bottom up, revealing Bisharps transformed state. The crimson aura erupted from the pokemon's body, the crowd awed at the sight of this and knew things were about to get serious. Bisharp walked up to his opponent and looking directly into his eyes. Their cold stares clashed but Deoxys' was still more menacing.

Bisharp brought his arm back, readying to strike his opponent but Deoxys hit first. Deoxys finally moved, hitting Bisharp far away into a large rock and digging the pokemon inside. The Legendary leaped across, doing a dive kick towards Bisharp and shoving his opponent through the rock into another. Bisharp and Daniel coughed out from the painful hit but it was not over. The Dark Steel pokemon was knocked to the ground on its back, rolling backwards as his opponent smashed his fist into the ground and cracking it. Bisharp stopped on his hands, pushing himself off and doing an upside down spin-kick which only hit the shields. Deoxys grabbed the pokemons leg, lifting it up and slamming him down into the floor and denting it. Samuel's pokemon lifted up Bisharp chucking the pokemon into another rock.

Both Daniel and his partner winced at the pain, Bisharp opened his eyes to see Deoxys already closing the distance in Speed mode and striking him again. He coughed out as he was launched out of the rock and rolled on the floor repeatedly. Deoxys jumped up and forced himself downwards onto Bisharp. Deoxys switched to attack mode, proceeding to spin around and kick Bisharp away. The large rock Bisharp was knocked into split in half but it stopped his momentum. Samuel's pokemon used psychic on the rocks, lifting them up and sandwiching Bisharp between them as they crumbled. Bisharp was bruised all over from the onslaught of attacks, gasping because of pain and ultimately falling to his knees.

Deoxys walked towards Bisharp stretching his left arm outwards towards the pokemon. Bisharp was panting, trying to catch his breath but noticed his enemy's shadow and attempted to hop back but was caught by Deoxys. The legendary had wrapped his stretched arm around Bisharp's neck and lifting the dark steel pokemon off his feet. Samuel's pokemon shot his arm back as it continuously stretched in that direction. Daniel and his partners eyes widened, fearful of the next attack.

Deoxys snapped his arm forward and in that same instant, let go of Bisharp as his attack hit. The hit was hard enough to make the both of them spit out as Bisharp was launched away. The Dark Steel pokemon endlessly rolled on the ground until it crashed into a rock wall. The hit made Daniel stagger back, eyes wide with pain and making the boy fall to his knees. His partner reacted the same, barely able to stand before collapsing to the ground.

"What a stunning onslaught! As expected from the unbeatable champion! Could this already be over for Daniel Barsony?!" The announcer stated but no one reacted, only observing. Daniel called out to his partner but with no response as his best friend lay there on the ground on his stomach. Everyone waited but nothing happened, tempting the announcer to speak up once more. "Is this a defeat for Bisharp…?"

Everyone watched as Bisharp didn't budge from his position, Andres watched with his eyebrows furrowed. The man growled silently to himself as he was getting angry at the prospect that he surrendered for nothing only for Daniel to lose almost right away. Deoxys let out an annoyed sigh, turning his back to his opponent. "What a waste." The legendary walked towards Samuel, very disappointed with him and the match. He was promised a challenge, yet his opponent was defeated almost right away. Deoxys looked to his trainer but shortly after, the look on his face changed to shock as he looked behind Deoxys. The pokemon heard a stomp from behind, making its eyes widen and cause him to turn around to look. Bisharp had gotten back on his feet, slouched over and using his knees as a support.

Samuel's pokemon turned around completely, surprised that Bisharp was still standing. Daniel's pokemon lifted its head up and looking to Deoxys with its red eyes. There was no glow with them so the eyes were dark and red. "Where do you think you're going…?" Bisharp spoke up painfully, he attempted to stand back up straight and was somewhat successful but found himself light-headed.

" _That's more like it._ " Deoxys thought to himself, getting into a battle stance of his own. "Good, you can keep fighting, this might be fun after all."

Bisharp's breathing slowed down until he can properly catch his breath and take a fighting stance like his opponent. Daniel got up with a determined expression plastered on his face. Samuel saw his little brother and smiled, proud of him, " _I knew you could keep going. Show us what you got._ " He thought to himself, crossing his arms and waiting to see what Daniel and his pokemon would do now.

Bisharp jumped up, diving towards the legendary pokemon but got punished. Deoxys jumped up with him and uppercutted the dark steel pokemon even higher into the air.

 _Flashback_

" _I think I know how to defeat Deoxys" Lucario told Bisharp, those words shocked Bisharp. Someone knowing how to defeat the unbeatable? He was curious._

" _What? How?" Bisharp asked, highly sceptical of his friend._

" _Call it a hunch, but… I think there's a specific way to hit Deoxys."_

" _What do you mean?"_

 _End_

Bisharp was in the air, regaining his senses and looking around to see Deoxys already up with him. Samuel's pokemon flew backwards before zooming forward and striking Bisharp. Deoxys was not yet done, turning around and doing the same thing, striking Bisharp again and again as he was knocked around.

 _Lucario put his paw on his chin, finding the best choice of words to describe his solution. "There's an opening, it's a small opening and any normal pokemon would never be able to reach it."_

 _Bisharp was confused more, there was an opening? "What do you mean an opening?"_

Deoxys continued to charge through Bisharp, hitting him again and again in the air with such ferocity. With each hit, Bisharp kept getting more and more injured as he was covered in bruises as the legendary slammed into him multiple times in succession.

" _I'm not entirely sure, but when I did my last maneuver back there, I was really close to actually hitting Deoxys. I didn't hit his shield that time and he actually had to dodge my attack." Lucario explained, double checking his memory to make sure he wasn't lying._

" _What? He actually had to dodge your hit? How?! What'd you do?" Bisharp questioned, putting his hands on the table._

" _I had baited him to attack me and I dodged his attack and countered but it failed; but I think that's the thing. Sure, Deoxys can keep up that shield at all times if he wanted but it would get in the way of his attacks, wouldn't it?"_

 _Bisharps eyes widened, starting to realize where he was getting at._

" _If he decided to attack, his shield would be the first thing to hit but it's not, he actually makes contact with his opponent. And when I attacked, he was also attacking as well which is the moment I managed to get in real close. My idea is that maybe he has to like 'turn off' the shield whenever he attacks and that's the best time to strike."_

 _This idea blew his mind, he never thought about it like that and it opened up so many possibilities._

" _Though, it's just a theory and I could be wrong."_

Deoxys landed on the ground, springing back towards Bisharp who remained floating. Deoxys prepared his final attack, bringing back his fist and readying to hit Bisharp. A bead of sweat formed on Daniel's forehead as he waited, his nervousness growing by the second as he watched and waiting for the right moment. "It's over!" Deoxys exclaimed, zooming towards Bisharp.

" _If I'm right though… that means the moment he attacks, is the moment you strike."_

"BISHARP, NOW!" Daniel yelled at the top of his lungs, Samuel looked to his brother, confused and looked up to see what his brothers pokemon was going to do.

Bisharps eyes shot open as he spun around to face Deoxys and catch his fist. The Dark steel pokemon pulled Deoxys in close and threw a punch using the momentum generated by the spin. Deoxys and Samuel's eyes widened at this watching as in an instant, Bisharps fist had made contact with Deoxys as the whole world watched. Everyone's jaw dropped as Bisharps attack made full contact with Deoxys.

Daniel's pokemon followed through with the punch, sending Deoxys to the ground and making the legendary bounce off on his back. Bisharp descended, landing on his feet and collapsing to his knees as he stopped his impact with the ground. Through extreme difficulty, he picked himself up after landing and began to charge at Deoxys, giving the pokemon no time to respond.

Deoxys whipped his head towards Bisharp, reaching out with his arm and catching the opponent off guard. The legendary wrapped his arm around Bisharps neck and began to choke him once more as he lifted him off his feet. Samuel's pokemon stood up, looking Bisharp in the eyes with an expression of anger. Bisharp was slowly choked as he attempted to rip off the enemies arm but with no success.

The crimson aura exploded from Bisharps body as he struck his opponents arm and ripping it off as intended. Deoxys let go of Bisharp, retracting his arm and wiggling it to shake off the pain. His eyes widened as he realized he took his eyes off of Bisharp, he spun around readying to attack his opponent but he was too late. Bisharp was mere centimeters away, his arm brought back as he prepared one powerful punch.

"Get ready Deoxys, cuz this one's going to hurt like hell!" In tandem, Daniel and his partner threw a punch which connected to Deoxys face. The attack was powerful enough to send a concentrated shockwave through his opponents head and blasting against Samuel. A small crack formed on Deoxys' head, the partners yelled in unison as Bisharp pressed his feet hard against the floor. The floor they were on started to crack and it only grew and became more unstable. They let out one more powerful shout as they slammed the legendary into the ground with their fist, causing the floor the shatter and cave inwards. Smoke was lifted into the air, obscuring both pokemon from everyone's field of vision.

Everyone watching had their incredibly shocked expressions on their face, the announce stuttered, reaching for his mic and bringing it close. "DEOXYS HAS BEEN HTIT! I REPEAT, DEOXYS HAS BEEN HIT FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!" He announced, and the audience went wild like never before. All of Daniel's friends were cheering for him as loud as they can and showing their respect for Daniel.

Bisharp backed off, both Daniel and his partner breathed heavily as the dust cleared and Deoxys slowly got back up on his feet. The legendary lifted his head, staring at the both of them with his eyes dilated like such. "YOU DAMN CHILD!" Deoxys yelled in rage.

Daniel stood there, processing what the legendary said and clenching his fists. "I don't care what you call us anymore. You can call me a child and Bisharp a peasant, but, there's one thing you'll never be able to call us again: weak. You hear me? We've gotten stronger, and this time, we are gonna beat you! We're gonna make it to the top whether you like it or not!" Daniel declared to Deoxys and the whole world. The crowd erupted with cheers, everyone showing their enthusiasm and support.

May and her little brother jumped up in excitement, complimenting the trainer for his incredible achievement. Max spoke up, saying "Wow! Daniel sure is incredible!", May and her father both agreed, turning their attention back to the TV as the announcer praised Daniel as well.

Bisharp brought his arms up, keeping them close to protect himself as he closed in on Deoxys. The legendary dashed towards his opponent, and at that moment, the mysterious stone hummed as time slowed down for Bisharp and he could see his opponent as clear as day. Bisharp's eyes widened, surprised by this but didn't dare question it, taking the opportunity to duck under Deoxys as time sped up back to normal and the two pokemon passed each other. Bisharp turned around, jumping up barely over the psychic pokemon, Samuel's pokemon whipped around and threw a punch but hit nothing as he saw his opponent had disappeared. Right over him, Bisharp utilized the opening and getting an extra strike on Deoxys head, knocking the legendary downwards.

Bisharp landed back on his feet away from Deoxys, looking up and thinking to himself, " _I can finally land a hit on Deoxys. We have a chance at winning this now!_ "

Deoxys spun towards Bisharp, throwing out his arm which stretched towards the dark steel pokemon. Daniel's pokemon leaned back, narrowly dodging the punch and catching himself with his hands. The psychic pokemon came in close, attempting to get another hit in while Bisharp was open. The Dark Steel pokemon was prepared, picking up his feet and and bringing it back. As the legendary came in close, he kicked forward as Deoxys ran straight into the kick and getting knocked back. As the pokemon was knocked away, he retracted his arm and focused on stopping himself from falling back more. Bisharp hopped back on his feet as the crowd cheered more and more by the second.

Daniel stood there, smirking but still nervous, " _That's right, Bisharp, just keep waiting for the moment to strike, as long as he attacks, you can attack as well._ "

Deoxys floated above the ground as he charged at Bisharp fist first. Daniel's pokemon reacted, jumping up and and twirling around for a kick at Deoxys. Unfortunately, the dark steel pokemon only managed to hit the shield and push himself off as his opponent passed by. Bisharp slid on his feet, slowly coming to a stop, but Deoxys was still on the attack and spun around. Samuel's pokemon grabbed ahold of a rock using psychic and chucking it towards Bisharp with incredible speed. Daniel's pokemon was quick, jumping up into the air to dodge the incoming projectile.

Deoxys looked up, switching to speed mode and flying towards Bisharp. The Dark Steel Pokemon attempted to dodge mid-air but got hit as the psychic pokemon crashed against him and passed by. Samuel's pokemon halted itself mid-air, turning around and shooting its arm out by stretching it. Bisharp reacted, grabbing ahold of the pokemon arm by his side and tugging it. Deoxys already knew what was next, and instead of letting Bisharp get his way, he decided to throw his own punch in attack mode to counter his opponent. Their punches collide but as expected, Bisharp was overpowered in every way and he was sent to the floor. Daniel's pokemon barely managed to act and land on his feet and crashing to his hands and knees.

The legendary descended slowly and softly making contact with the ground. It looked towards its enemy, remembering the weak Pawniard that stood before it in the past. Deoxys walked forward, deciding to be more patient and less reckless like it was before. Bisharp got back on his feet, feeling a new sense of accomplishment as he was standing his own against the pokemon who effortlessly defeated him. "I will admit, you two are no longer the weaklings who fought against me before. You have tarnished my career of never being hit, it is by your hands that you have found a weakness within me. I will acknowledge your strength, you are strong indeed. But now, I will no longer be playing games and will be taking this much more seriously."

Daniel smirked, Deoxys was finally getting serious against them? That's a first, "Getting serious against us now, huh? I'm honored that we're the first."

"However, I will make sure you no longer maintain that confident look plastered on your faces."

Bisharp assumed a fighting stance, igniting his aura from within his body to surround him. Deoxys readied up, getting into a stance of this own as silence filled the area now. In an instant, the psychic pokemon was already next to Bisharp before the dark steel pokemon could process it. " _Holy shit!_ " Bisharp yelled internally as he was kicked into a nearby rock. Samuel's pokemon zoomed forward, first in speed mode and then switching to defense mode with its gargantuan arms. He grabbed Bisharps head and shoved the pokemon even further into the rock. Daniel's pokemon groaned in pain but Samuel's was not yet done, proceeding to drag Daniel's pokemon through the rock as roughly as possible.

Once the the legendary had dragged Bisharp to the edge, he proceeded to hurl the pokemon into the air and chased after him. Deoxys caught up, going above his opponent and spinning around before slamming one of his arms down onto the pokemon. Bisharp was launched to the ground and driving him in. Bisharp groaned, looking up to see Deoxys diving down towards him and narrowly rolling out of the way in response. The dark steel pokemon got back on his feet, doing a backflip to dodge an incoming punch. The pokemon barely stuck the landing, staggering back and attempting to regain footing.

Bisharp regained his footing, charging at Deoxys. The psychic lifted up the rock from under Bbisharp and throwing him into the air to throw him off balance. Bisharp used this opportunity to spin forward repeatedly with his leg stuck out to slam it into Deoxys. The pokemon slammed his leg down towards his opponent but only ended up hitting the shield once more. This caught Bisharp off guard, surprising him but Deoxys turned off the shield and allowed the pokemon to drop. As Daniel's pokemon fell, the legendary switched to attack mode and got a powerful strike against bisharp and sending the pokemon away.

Bisharp and Daniel coughed out from the pain as the former of the two struggled to get back on its feet. Deoxys faced Bisharp, looking down at it as he attempted to get up. Deoxys knew that there was no way they were gonna keep this up. Deoxys has a plethora of tricks up his sleeve he could utilize while Bisharp has exhausted all of his. There were no more stunts, no more tricks he could possibly pull off. The outcome of this match was clear.

"I respect your strength but it's over. The outcome is clear and you have no chance of winning. You may have figured out my trick but it won't win you this battle, not if you can't keep up with me. If I were in your situation, I wouldn't mind surrendering. I would be walking away with the pride of having landed a hit on the legendary Deoxys, I believe that's enough to garner respect, would it not?" Deoxys exclaimed which made Daniel's eyebrow twitch out of irritation.

Daniel made a sour expression as he smirked, "So that's how it is, eh?" Daniel mocked, standing up straight and looking towards Deoxys. "We're actually doing this again."

Samuel spoke up, feeling really bad now, "I know we're sounding like Andres from yesterday but being honest. Even if you pulled out the blades, in all honesty, they aren't going to do much to Deoxys. I mean, if you can keep fighting, cool, keep going. But this is going to get repetitive until Deoxys decides to finish it which he can very well do whenever he wants. "

Everyone was silent, waiting for some sort of response out of the two of them but they didn't say anything, merely staring down their opponents. Daniel closed his eyes, telling his opponents, "You may be right, those shields are bothersome and we won't win at this rate… but, we still have one more trick left… something more powerful than the blades."

"What?"

Daniel thought to himself, remembering all of his friends and calling out to each of them. " _George… Samuel… Zach… Lucas… Andres… and Serena… I won't let you guys down._ " He finished his thoughts, opening his eyes and taking a deep breath. Bisharp knew the drill as the two of them got into the same stance, calming themselves to focus. They yelled together as they voices matched in sink, barely visible red lightning radiated from the pokemon's body followed up with short beams of light. The crimson aura exploded from Bisharp's body and replacing the beams of light. They growled as the red lightning surrounding BIsharp intensified and became more visible to everyone. The partners ended their growling with a powerful shout as the sky above them slowly became darker and darker. Everyone looked up and noticed the dark skies which darkened the entire area.

"It looks like you're underestimating us once more." Bisharp stated, continuing to build up the attack.

"Like we said once before, I will not allow anyone to underestimate us anymore…!" Daniel and Bisharp crossed their arms diagonally in front of them, and the lighting grew by the second and a breeze was generate by Bisharp, blowing in every direction.

"The outcome is clear and we can't win? Don't give us that crap!"

"We've known for the longest time that you've been superior to us."

At that moment, they spread their arms out to the sides with their hands partially open. The entire area began to experience a slowly growing tremor. The lightning retracted before shooting out even further with an even higher intensity as it almost hit Deoxys. The breeze from earlier evolved into a powerful gust of wind and the ground began to shake furiously.

Everyone in the audience began to scream out of fear, as the whole arena was shaking and everyone held onto something. Deoxys looked around, hearing the screams and a bead of sweat formed as he thought to himself, " _The ground's shaking this much just from the build-up? What the hell are they doing?!_ " Deoxys readied itself, his uneasiness growing by the minute as he watched. Bisharp emanate a glow from his body that everyone can see because it was dark.

"This is our ultimatum… our strongest attack…! We've been saving this one just for you, Deoxys!" Daniel exclaimed, as the two of them charged up their attack even more.

The legendary was speechless to say the least, he has seen nothing like this before and never would he have expected it from them. Bisharp looked up, staring at Deoxys with his glowing red eyes, "We're not going to let you stand there and look down upon us…!"

Andres watched as his eyes were wide with amazement, did they hold back this attack during their battle? He was more amazed than he was confused, wanting to see what type of attack this is if it's creating this much ruckus from the build-up alone.

The lightning became more sporadic and extreme as the shaking of the ground had reached a new high and it became increasingly difficult to maintain their footing. Daniel spoke up, raising his voice, "So, if you really think we're not worth your time, then so be it! We're going to show you our might when we are united as one!

"This is an exclusive attack that only we know! Our Ultimate attack!" Bisharp yelled, every aspect and symptom generated by the build-up intensified even more.

"So if you really think you're superior to us, then just stand there and prove us wrong!"

Deoxys stood there, maintaining his ground and getting serious, "Give it your best shot." Daniel stood there smirking, warning Deoxys as they prepared their attack and brought their arms close to their body.

The partners threw their arms up into the air, and everything stopped: the shaking, the lightning, and the wind stopped. There was only silence as a dark fog consumed the entire area (including the stadium). The clouds above them then changed to have a more crimson-tint and the sky became a very dark red color. The sun which was visible was now of a blood red color, looking down upon the arena.

Daniel and Bisharp took in a deep breath breath together as they yelled as loud as they can, "BLOOD MOON SLASH!" and they brought their hands downward. In the sky above of them, a bright red dot appeared. In an instant, a projectile was shot from the sky, immediately striking Deoxys shield. The impact was loud enough to hurt everyone's ears and violently shook the area with the first strike. Then, another one struck, shaking the arena more and causing several things to collapse. Soon, the beams hit where Ddeoxys was in back to back in succession. Soon enough, it became a torrent of red beams raining down from the sky and striking the area Deoxys stood. The blasts were so loud and powerful that it was the equivalent of an artillery shell striking the area in rapid succession. The shaking made both trainers fall backwards and made Bisharp fall to his knees. Everyone covered their ears as the barrage of sounds generated was ear-shattering, they winced in fear and pain as the shaking wouldn't stop and the gatling gun of beams would not stop. It was the equivalent to a high-level earthquake as the tremors caused several things inside and outside the arena to crumble.

After a bit, the rain of hell stopped and a large smoke covered the battlefield, a bright red glow could be seen inside the smoke and it was generated from multiple points. It all merged into one beam of light as it grew larger and larger and larger and consumed everything in the battlefield. Replacing the expanding light was a massive explosion which blew out some people's ears and gave everyone else an excruciating headache. The explosion blew a ridiculously powerful gust of wind in every direction, blowing hard against everyone and everything and generating the most powerful tremor yet.

The sky returned to normal and the fog consuming the area disappeared. Everything lit up revealing the battlefield completely obscured by smoke. Daniel was on the floor with his ears still covered and he was wincing in pain. When Daniel heard nothing, he let go of his ears only to be treated to a very intense ringing sound. Samuel did the same, being treated to a ringing sound as well and both trainer looked at the smoke, wanting to see what had happened.

The smoke cleared enough on Daniels end to reveal Bisharp sitting there on his knee and holding himself up with his arm. "Bisharp!" Daniel called out but his expression widened when he realized his hearing was severely muffled. His voice sounded like it was far away and this terrified him. He almost wanted to cry as a result but now wasn't a time for worrying about it, what happened to Deoxys?

A large breeze blew away the smoke, revealing the entire arena and where Deoxys was. There was a large crater where Deoxys stood and at the center, Deoxys stood with his arms up and panting. Deoxys was bruised from the head down but he was still standing and kicking. Daniel's eyes widened as he dropped to his knees in fear. Their attack failed, Deoxys is still standing even after that. Bisharp's transformation broke off as he was returned to his normal state, unlike Daniel, Bisharp was quite pleased with what he saw. Deoxys emerged from the crater, getting up with a furious expression on his face.

"I-Incredible! Deoxys is still standing even after that attack! He isn't called the strongest pokemon for no reason!" The announcer stated, but no one really reacted as everyone was worrying about their injuries to their ear. A lot of people had their eardrums blown out and had severe ear pain.

Deoxys looked to Bisharp, clenching his fists as tight as possible, "Color me impressed, you actually managed to break my shield. I have never in my entire life felt this level of pain, I applaud you. Unfortunately for you, I am furious right now, not only have you destroyed my shield but you have seriously injured me like no other."

Bisharp chuckled as he got back up on his feet, his legs were shaky and wobbly as he was very weak right now. "Now you're open to everything, now's my chance…!" Bisharp barely spoke, clenching his fist and rushing towards Deoxys and throwing a punch. Deoxys sidestepped the attack, and dodged the next that followed it. The legendary began smacking away the hits that were close, and when he saw a clear opening, he went for it. Samuel's pokemon struck Bisharp, making the pokemon caught out and wheeze as the air was taken out of him with the punch. Bisharp staggered back, barely able to maintain its balance as he felt his world go upside down. He looked at Deoxys but his vision was completely blurry and could barely discern anything he saw.

When Bisharp could get a somewhat solid view on Deoxys, he charged forward and readied another hit but was stopped. Deoxys hit Bisharp, causing the pokemon to cough out and stop dead in its tracks as his eyes dilated almost to nothing. "I will return to you the same pain you showed me." Deoxys knocked Bisharps arm away and hit the pokemon in the face with a left hook. He followed it up with a right diagonal uppercut, followed with another left hook. Then it began, Deoxys comboed his hits left and right, continuously striking Bisharp again and again. With each hit, Bisharp felt pain like he's never experienced, with each hit, it felt like his insides were being launched all over the place.

All of Daniel's friends turned away, having a very difficult time watching the brutality which was going down below. With each hit now in Bisharps weakened state, the dark steels head blade would slowly crack with each hit and serious bruises covered Bisharps face as he was hit over and over again.

Samuel watched and closed his eyes in grief, this was it, they were too weakened to fight back and Deoxys was furious now as he brutalized his opponent. " _It's over…_ " Samuel thought to himself, looking away and not wanting to hear Bisharps screams and cries of pain with each hit now.

Deoxys wouldn't stop, dishing out what he believed was an equal amount of pain towards Bisharp by continuously striking him. He didn't go all out on purpose but he did use enough strength to make it last and make his opponent suffer. Once he felt it was time, Deoxys brought back his arm, and bringing up a swift uppercut knocking the poor pokemon into the air. The pokemon landed on the ground roughly on its back as he lay on the floor, limp.

Daniel could barely process everything as he had tears swelling up in his eyes as he had just watched his best friend get brutalized AFTER seeing their ultimate attack fail. Daniel knew they were done, there was no coming back from this one and he accepted defeat as he began to sob silently to himself.

"It looks like it's over for the younger brother of Samuel Barsony?" The announcer questioned, making an "uhh" sound as he looked down below.

May and her family were at the edge of their seats, crying out for the trainer who was in the worst position possible. The entire world had watched what had happened and could barely say a thing, what had just transpired almost silenced the whole world.

"Bisharp…" Daniel mumbled, the mysterious stone in Daniel's pocket generated a small light and hummed. Bisharp regained consciousness, opening his eyes and shielding them from the bright rays of the sun. He could hear Daniel silently sobbing to himself, this made the pokemon sit up immediately which surprised Deoxys cuz he thought his opponent was done. Bisharp got up, the inside of his head felt like it was burning up but he could process everything. He looked around and awaiting the rest of his senses to finally pull themselves together.

"You could still keep go-" Deoxys was stopped by the dark steel pokemon putting his arm up to tell his opponent to stay quiet. Bisharp walked up to his partner, hearing the crying and the acceptance of defeat infuriated Bbisharp more than he could have ever imagined. He clenched his fist and when he was close to his partner, he clocked Daniel across the ahead, knocking the boy to the floor and leaving a bruise on the boys cheek.

The hit snapped Daniel back into reality as he felt a massive ache on his cheek and he saw Bisharp towering over him. "Bisharp…" he mumbled, his partner picked Daniel up by his shirt and raised daniel to his level.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Bisharp yelled, so loud that everyone in the stadium could hear the pokemons voice.

"Bisharp, what are you doin-"

"No, you answer me! What the hell do you think you're doing?! Giving up?!"

"Bisharp… our strongest attack didn't work…"

"Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME! YOU ARE IGNORANT AS FUCK!"

Daniel's eyes widened when he heard this, feeling hurt by the insult and listening to what his partner was saying to him.

"You idiot, Blood Moon Slash destroyed his shield! The very thing that was holding us back from winning this match! It's gone now and that means we can win this thing still."

Daniel did realize that but was still in denial, "But Bisharp… you're-"

"Don't you 'but' me! Whenever we put our minds together, we can do anything! Don't you dare tell me this is the Daniel Barsony I've been training with for the last 6 years, the one who raised me, the one who helped me get stronger?! Well?!"

"Yeah…"

"Daniel, we've always been in this together, the two of us and I will not have you giving up on this! I never gave up on you, then why can't you do the same?! I respect you dammit! You're my best friend! A brother even, are you really going to let everything go to waste like this?! What about our promises? Our goals and dreams? What about Lucas? Serena? All of our other friends who are watching right now and believing in us to win, huh?!"

Daniel looked away in shame, realizing he has enraged Bisharp.

"If you're going to be the Daniel Barsony that defeats Samuel, then start acting like it. We still have a chance at this because we're at our strongest together, right?"

Daniel closed his eyes, putting his hand on Bisharp's and indicating for his partner to let go. "Yeah… you're right, we've made it this far. It's way too late to turn back now, but we're in this together till the very end. Thank you Bisharp, I needed that." Daniel scraped his arm across his cheek and locking eyes with his older brother. "Samuel! I promise you, we won't ever fall again until we've taken you down."

Bisharp and Daniel shouted together and instead of the crimson aura shooting out, it was instead, a brighter red aura which was more calm and wavy. They continued shouting as the aura shrunk more and more until Bisharp completely absorbed it. Samuel and his pokemon stood there, wondering what they were about to do. Steam emitted from Bisharps body, he crossed his arms diagonally in front of him, taking a deep breath with his partner and spreading his arms out as the magenta light blades extended from his arms.

"From this moment, Bisharp and I no longer fight as trainer and pokemon, but instead, as brothers!" Daniel declared, following this was a silence cut off by him yelling "LET'S GO!", his pokemon brother zoomed towards Deoxys at blinding speeds in his transformed state. Bisharp jumped up and did a spin-kick which Deoxys blocked, the kick pushed the arm closer to the legendary and making it hard to maintain the block. Bisharp pushed himself off, throwing a right hook followed with a left hook. Deoxys caught both but this worked to Bisharps advantage as the pokemon grabbed ahold of Deoxys' arm and lifted himself up. Bisharp brought his knee up, striking against Deoxys's chin and allowing himself to fall back slightly to kick the legendary away. Bisharp caught himself with his hand, pushing himself back on his feet.

Samuel's pokemon switched to speed mode, leaping towards Bisharp an attack of his own. Daniel's dodged, attempting to slice at Deoxys but the pokemon dodged it, attempting to kick at Bisharp. The dark steel pokemon blocked the hit, attempting to uppercut Deoxys now but both pokemon backed off. Doing back handsprings to gain distance from each other. Once they were done, they stared at each other, observing each other's movements to see who was going to make the first move. Bisharp did two consecutive slashes towards deoxys, spawning two projectiles heading his direction. The legendary floated up, dodging them both and closing in on Bisharps position as he threw a punch. Bisharp caught it but his arm was pushed back slightly. Bisharp grunted, pushing back as much as he can which made his arm shaky.

Bisharp got into an uncomfortable position, jumping up as he twirled his body around to kick Deoxys away. Bisharp looked to the enemy and and motioned for the pokemon to come back, "Come on Deoxys, give it your A game." Bisharp taunted somewhat playfully.

Deoxys pushed himself back up, looking back at Bisharp and growling, "I'll make you pay for mocking me." He threatened, switching to Attack mode and striking his enemy. Daniel's pokemon brought his arms up to block and when the attack hit, he was sent back several feet as his feet dug into the ground and left a trail. The pokemons arms hurt like hell and he wiggled them as a response. Deoxys jumped up, diving downward to smash Bisharp with his fists. The dark steel pokemon reacted quickly, jumping up and grabbing the legendary and slamming him into the ground.

"Come on, are you really taking this seriously?" Bisharp mocked, having a little fun playing with Deoxys' emotions.

"Get your hands off me!" Deoxys yelled, throwing Bisharp off and throwing him away several meters back. Bisharp manueverd so he slid on the ground on his feet and stopping himself. Deoxys zoomed forward and both pokemon threw a punch towards each other which collided. The ground around them cracked and crumbled as their punches created a powerful shockwave. Deoxys yelled, putting his back into the punch in an attempt to overpower Bisharp. Daniel and his partner did the same, yelling and shifting their position to overpower Deoxys. The legendary got an idea, deciding to redirect their punches downwards and creating an opening for him. As Bisharp was brought down, he was hit with an uppercut he fell into and knocked upwards. Daniel's pokemon rolled on the floor on its stomach.

Bisharp lay on the ground, purposefully not getting up and waiting as he clenched his fist waiting patiently.

"I'm ending this." Deoxys said, bringing his arm back and readying to strike Bisharp.

Bisharp continued, awaiting his moment to strike as he thought to himself, " _come on… take the bait._ " Bisharp thought, readying to move as he saw his opponent prepared.

"It's over!" Deoxys yelled, throwing an extended punch towards his enemy to finish them off. But in an instant, Bisharp got up and sliced at Deoxys as both parties heard something get cut off. Samuel's jaw dropped as he saw Deoxys arm fly up into the air and crash to the ground, spazzing out uncontrollably. Bisharp was on one knee has he had his arm extended past where he hit Deoxys. The legendary stood there, eyes wide with pain as he was attempting to process it. Samuel's pokemon yelled in pain and proceeded to groan as he held onto the open wound.

"Holy crap! Bisharp just sliced off Deoxys arm! Disgusting!" The announcer stated, and the audience watched in awe.

Deoxys continued to groan, trying to calm itself down and focus, Bisharp saw this and made a "hmph" sound in joy. "Quit playing around, I know damn well you can regenerate."

Deoxys grew irritated with the ignorant remark, looking to his adversary and barking, "Of Course I can you imbecile, but it does not excuse the excruciating pain!" Deoxys focused and as quickly as he lost it, a new arm popped out and replaced the missing part. The legendary moved its new arm around, flexing it and attempting to get used to the new stiff arm.

"Every time we get back up, we only get stronger." Bisharp proclaimed, feeling more confident than he was early and much more at ease that they can land hits more often. Deoxys growled in irritation, curling up his hand into a fist with so much rage his arm shook.

"Again and again and AGAIN! WHY DO YOU KEEP GETTING BACK UP WHEN YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T BEAT ME?!" Deoxys shouted telepathically, frustrated because these two should've been finished ages ago but they keep managing to come back up. Even years ago when Bisharp was a Pawniard, they always came back and knew damn well how the battle would turn out. Why? Why do they keep bothering when the result will be the same EVERY TIME?

Daniel answered, "The answer's simple, it's because we have dreams and goals we want to achieve. We've always fought for ourselves and worked together to achieve each others goals. But we haven't always been like this… It's because of the people around us who kept us going. Without Bisharp, I would have never matured and gain the confidence I needed to win. Without Andres and the rest of my team, I would have accepted defeat a long time ago but they all taught me to learn from my mistakes and keep going with my head held high. However, there was always one person who kept pushing me onward from the beginning, the one person who managed to save me from my depression as a child."

Deoxys listened, wanting to know who this person is if it wasn't Bisharp who was there for him all the time. "Who was it?"

"I don't know where I would be without her, but she was the first person to reach out to me in my time of darkness and pull me up. Her name is Serena Ferris, the girl I love, and the one I am eternally grateful towards. It's because of her and all my friends that I'm here today and I can't afford to let their efforts go to waste."

The words echoed to everyone, everyone was in awe of the boy's explanation but one person in the audience was more shocked than anyone. Serena, her mouth was open in shock and she was slightly blushing. Did her crush just admit his feelings towards her? That's what she thought, Ash's crew and the Holy GADZ looked towards Serena because they were all shocked. Granted, the Holy GADZ already knew but they wanted to see everyone else's reaction, but they were still surprised Daniel admitted it publicly like that.

Deoxys stood there, having calmed down and accepting their explanation, "So that's your motive? It's because of this love towards not only this girl but all of your friends that you wish to keep going? They helped you and you don't want to let that go to waste? Is that correct?"

Daniel smirked confidently, putting his hands on his hips, "Yeah, something like that."

"I respect your resolve, it is admirable indeed but I won't simply hand over a victory just because I understand you now. I know you are aware of that."

"Yeah." Daniel responded, it all became silent once more until something extraordinary occured. The mysterious stone lit up, so bright in fact that Samuel and people in the audience could see it. The object began to float upwards, making its way out of Daniel's pocket and floating up in front of the boy. Daniel was confused as to what was happening with it and Bisharp turned around, walking towards it and wanting to see what's up. The mysterious stone shot two small beams of light towards the partner and giving them a bright outline as they stood in place. They now maintained poker faces and were in a daze as they didn't have control of what they were doing.

Daniel, in a way he would describe it, felt like he was being sucked out of his own body. Bisharp felt the same way as the two of them fell into a black void and the only thing they can see is each other.

"Bisharp? What the hell is going on?!" Daniel called out, attempting to move but the boy can only float in place, barely able to move from his current position.

"I don't know, did we die?" Bisharp somewhat joked but got serious.

"You have been chosen." a familiar voice sounded from behind them, they whipped around to see a ball of light floating in place. The voice was the same exact one they heard back in the reflection caves when they discovered the stone in the first place.

"Wait a minute, are you the one that called us to the stone?"

"Indeed, we are the ones who called out to you two because we believe you are worthy."

Daniel's facial expression changed to a confuzzled one, "Worthy of what?"

"We believe you may have already heard this term, but, we believe you are worthy of being the Representatives of Creation."

This shocked the partners and they looked to each other, the representative thing is making a comeback now. Daniel shook his head in disbelief and looked to the stone, "Bb-but why us?! What is this whole representative of creation thing? Why are we chosen?"

"All will be explained in due time, but to put it simply. You have met our parameters, the requirements for being a representative. We have agreed to select you two as our successors"

"Successors? … Wwait, are you saying you're the previous Representative of Creation?"

"Correct, all of us in this collective conscious are the previous representatives."

Bisharp butted in, wanting to talk, "Alright, but what's the whole deal with this? I know you said all will be explained in 'due time' but what's going to happen right now? Why are we here?"

"We have come to test you, to make sure we have chosen the correct individuals. We will begin right away."

The second that was said, Bisharp and Daniel were separated from each other as they parted further and further away from each other. They called out to each other but their voice only repeated in the darkness. The light appeared again in front of Daniel, the same one from just a bit ago.

"What is your worst fear?"

Daniel looked, thinking to himself and coming up with an answer, "That I ultimately fail my friends and they fail their dreams as a result of it."

"I see, we shall take a look inside to see if you are telling us the truth."

"Whait what?" The light moved into Daniel as he could feel something inside, and in that moment, images flashed before his eyes of his worst nightmares. Daniel looked around, terrified at what he was looking at and shutting his eyes closed as he couldn't bare to watch what he was seeing, "STOP!" Daniel demanded and like such, the images stopped and the light appeared in front of him once more.

"It appears you are telling the truth, you do not wish to see your friends suffer, you are a kind person indeed. But, if you had the power to prevent any of it, would you?"

"Yes! Because they all sacrificed something for me and I have to return the favor, they did so much for me so I can't help but want to aid them!"

"Understandable, but, it appears you do it out of moral obligation, not self desire. If they didn't do anything for your cause, would you still help them?"

Daniel was caught off guard because he didn't really think about it, most of his life was just him following his moral code and not really thinking for himself. "Yeah, I would still help because friends are friends no matter what. They're all dear to me."

This time, the collective conscious was silenced, floating mid-air with nothing to say. And then, "What about afterwards, in the chance you defeat your opponent, what would you do afterwards? Abuse your fame? Abuse the power you have?"

"No, I would use my power and fame to help all my friends achieve their dreams like they did mine."

The conscious floated more, processing what the candidate was saying and coming to a conclusion. "Very well, we shall put you to the ultimate test then."

"I'm ready."

Daniel blinked, snapping out of his daze, he looked to his partner who shook his head as he was returned to the normal world as well. Samuel and Deoxys were close, simply watching and calling out to their opponents. Daniel and his partner reached for the stone, touching it as it generated a ripple sound that echoed to everyone in the vicinity. The stone generated retracted the beams yet the two candidates were still outlined, the stone generated a bright light as it was encased inside a blue bubble. The object ascended in the air, picking Daniel and Bisharp along with it as they were both lifted off their feet. The clouds all gathered at one point above the area, darkening everything once more and no light passed through.

They were raised higher and higher until everyone in the arena could see them in the air. The partners closed their eyes, letting out a deep breath as they put their hand out towards the stone. The object in question turned into a mass of light which grew more and more and engulfed the two as it continued expanding. Once the light reached a peak size, it began giving off ripples of energy, sending waves in various directions and causing light objects within the arena to float upwards.

"What's happening?!" The announcer questioned, the audience watched as the ball of light then morphed and it then became a sphere with of a wavy blue flame pattern that flowed continuously upwards. The mass divided into two smaller spheres which slowly parted from each other until they were at an even distance away. In an instant, tTwo large rays of light shot up towards the sky like a beacon. The beams parted the clouds and removed them entirely as the sky was revealed with the burning bright sun. The beacons died down until it was only the two spheres once more which began to morph and change. The spheres took on the form of a white shell of flowing flames with a bluish tint to them. The shells spiraled around each other slowly and they came close together as quick.

The masses descended to the ground, and the shell dissipated revealing two figuring covered with a bright white shell that generated a glow. The light broke off their bodies from the feet up, revealing them bit by bit until finally, they were revealed. Both partners had their backs turned to their opponent and a bright blue aura encompassed them.

Samuel and Deoxys were speechless, not sure what to say or do as they saw their opponents slowly turn around to face them with their eyes closed. Once Daniel and Bisharp turned around completely, they opened their eyes, revealing their identical red pupils. The aura caused Daniels hair to spike upwards and Bisharp remained in his transformed state. The expression on Daniel's face was unlike anything Samuel's ever seen, he's never seen Daniel with this type of look before, it was almost like he's a different person now.

"Now go, show us, Daniel Barsony, that you are worthy of wielding the power of the Arceus Stone!" The conscious declared to them both, they furrowed their brows, acknowledging their test and the new challenge they must face.

End of Chapter


	22. Chapter 22, Finale

Everything was silent except for the blowing wind and the sound generated from the blue aura. Daniel and Bisharp stood there staring down Samuel and Deoxy with their red pupils. A bead of sweat formed on Samuel's head as he looked his younger brother up and down, taking in the new look. The aura caused Daniel's hair to wave back and forth slightly, Daniel and his partners fists were clenched tightly and their expression did not change in the slightest. All the cameras in the arena were pointed towards them, the young trainers face being blown up on the larger screens in the stadium for all to see.

The champion, the professor, and all spectators stared in awe at this change of events. The announcer cleared his threat, bringing the mic close to speak, "It appears they've both gone through a very fascinating transformation, but what could it be? What does it mean? Those red eyes, the blue aura, this is quite the mystery."

Serena held her hands together, looking down and growing worried and thinking something bad just happened to him. She wished the best and hoped it was under control because the only ones who could be at the moment is them.

There was finally movement, Daniel looked to his partner and nodded. Without saying a word, Bisharp walked in front of Daniel; the trainer extended his arms outwards and closed his eyes. His aura took the shape of a sphere and he was lifted from the ground ever so slightly. Once everything was in place, Daniel assumed his partner's position and they waited. The two partners thought to themselves, thinking at the same time " _So, I'm assuming this is a power boost. But what type? Well, I guess there's only one way to find out._ "

When the dark steel pokemon stepped forward, Daniel did the same in mid air as they moved in tandem at the exact same time. They crouched slightly, preparing themselves until they launched themselves towards Deoxys. Their eyes widened at how quickly they closed the gap and before they could process it, they had already leaped right above Deoxys. Samuel's pokemon only managed to get a glimpse of Bisharp before being smashed into the ground. Daniel had mimicked Bisharps movements completely as they looked down and hopped into the air to dodge a counter attack from Deoxys (Daniel was constricted inside the aura, copying Bisharps movements in place essentially).

The partners still couldn't process their speed, their reaction time had increased exponentially. Coming their direction was the legendary who shot himself upwards and threw a punch. It was incredibly fast but they were faster as the two managed to maneuver around and kick him down. Deoxys skidded across, attempting to stop his movement as best he can. When the legendary felt comfortable, he zoomed towards his opponents once more but was counter-attacked right away. Bisharp knee'd Deoxys' gut before forcing his body to spin and kick Deoxys to the floor with added momentum.

Deoxys fell on his knees as gravity hit him hard but he had not time to take a break, he looked upwards to see his opponent preparing to smash their fists down. Samuel's pokemon barely cursed to itself as he moved out of the way of the devastating attack. The dark steel pokemon smashed his fists into the ground, shattering the impact area and causing the arena to ever so slightly shake. Deoxys stood there, eyes wide with shock and thinking to himself frantically " _What the hell is this?! Why's he so fast now?!_ ".

Mimicking his partner, Bisharp dug his foot into the ground and forcing it outwards towards Deoxys and launching a chunk of rock towards Deoxys. The legendary growled and backhanded the rock into smithereens but was met with an incoming punch to the face. The hit launched Samuel's pokemon back and caused him to roll backwards uncontrollably. The psychic stopped himself quickly, observing his incoming opponent and using his psychic powers to lift the ground up from his enemy's feet. Bisharp regained control and flipped backwards onto his feet and prepared himself. Deoxys broke the ground up into several chunks and chucked them towards Bisharp as fast as he could.

Daniel saw everything Bisharp saw, he felt everything Bisharp did, and together, they prepared for the incoming volley. Almost as if in slow-motion, their split-second reactions kicked in as they bobbed and weaved around the projectiles so quickly it shocked themselves.

Andres sat in the stands, hands to his chin and observing the battle intently. He was sucked into the intense battle and questioning to himself, " _Daniel, what is this? Where did this power come from? It couldn't be another stage in their little bond evolution… but, if it's not that then… wait!_ " Andres remembered Daniel and Bisharp's identical red eyes and blue aura in that moment. " _Those red eyes and that aura… it couldn't be! But if that's the case, that means they've become…_ " Andres didn't finish his thought as he turned his attention back to the battle.

Bisharp and Deoxys engaged in close-quarters combat as they both repeatedly threw punches towards each other, responding with a dodge or block. They attacked and moved on instinct and focused on the battle. Their punches collided repeatedly, creating weak shockwaves strong enough to blow the dust away. The shockwaves increased in intensity as the ground underneath them began to crack slowly. Daniel and his partner were fighting so fast their eyes hurt from the adjusting, but they were adapting. The more they became adapted to their rapid fighting, the faster and stronger they became as a result.

They continued on like this but Deoxys was beginning to see their adapting and he found it increasingly difficult to keep this up until he was open. A punch was headed his way and he was almost hit but as a ditch effort to evade, he took to the sky. Deoxys narrowly dodged the incoming hit, letting out a sigh of relief as he looked down at the arena towards Bisharp.

The partners groaned to themselves, as the dark steel pokemon leaped into the air and attempted to hit Deoxys. The psychic merely glided out of the way with no effort. Bisharp tried again, jumping up and trying to get another hit but to no avail. The partners growled as a result, getting frustrated with this little game they were playing. They decided to try one last time, jumping up and missing, they clench their fist tightly and without realizing it, the arm erupted into flames. Bisharp whipped around, punching towards Deoxys and a stream of flames shot out from the arm and flowed directly towards Deoxys. The legendary was shocked by the flamethrower, moving out of the way as he felt the flames move past. The opposing pokemon landed on his feet, looking at his arm in amazement.

"Whoa, I didn't know we could use flames… is this a special ability of the stone?" The partners said to themselves, looking upon their arm from different angles.

Deoxys looked down upon the two of them, very confused as to why they used flames when they shouldn't have. Deoxys then got a theory, he's not quite sure what this power is all about but perhaps, even if by a small chance, one of its abilities allows the user to utilize other attacks. "You surprised me there." Deoxys said to them, the trainer and pokemon looked towards Deoxys and remembered that he was still flying.

"Hey, no fair! We can't reach you from down here!"

"Then why don't you come up?"

"How?!"

"Simple. Fly."

"Oh, that's easier said than done, we don't have wings!"

"You don't need wings, just look at me."

Daniel and his partner payed attention to Deoxys, looking him up and down and trying to figure out what he was doing. "Well, aren't you able to naturally do that?"

"Of Course not, I have to use my psychic powers to lift me up and maintain control."

The partners agreed that the explanation made sense but it was still easier said than done, fortunately for them, Deoxys was not done explaining. The legendary explained to them how he felt and what he focused on whenever he flew, talking them through the steps slowly. Daniel and Bisharp let out a deep breath and calmed down to focus. They took in everything Deoxys had told them, focusing on each step carefully and after a bit of concentrating, Bisharp was floating off the ground. They were both surprised, eyes wide and moving in place as they float above the ground. The partners were slightly freaking out and were not mentally prepared to fly. They attempted to move more which caused Bisharp to skyrocket into the air quickly and making both partners yell in fear.

Deoxys nearly laughed but chose not to and raised his voice, "Focus! You're not gonna get anywhere by being amazed, keep a level head and concentrate on what you want." They listened to the legendary and they managed to stop their ascent. They concentrated as told and they slowly lowered themselves to Deoxys level in the air. "There, good. Now you're getting it."

The partners looked around and took in the fact that they were flying now, above everything and several dozen feet in the air. "Why are you helping us?" they asked, waiting for Deoxys answer.

"You may prove to be a better challenge yet, so if I have the chance to groom a better opponent, so I will. So long as I still beat you, it doesn't matter. Now then… come at me."

Bisharp did as told, as he charged towards Deoxys quickly while shouting and punching Deoxys. The legendary caught the attack with no effort at all, still in place as he held his opponent back.

"No good, there's no strength behind your attack. You're still concentrating too much on flying, it has to become natural, something you do without thinking, or a habit for simplicity sake."

Bisharp backed off, bringing up his arms, "Yeah, I'll try." they came in for another attack. They threw two consecutive punches, both of which were smacked away by Deoxys with ease. On the third one, the legendary pulled them in and got a free strike on them, it was a surprise to them both and they coughed in pain as a result.

"Come, keep trying."

Bisharp grunted, using his anger to power his kick as he swiped across with his leg. Deoxys actually had to dodge, ducking under and backing away. Samuel's pokemon felt it was right to go on the offensive and push them back. The psychic closed in on them, moving to their left and making them punch that way. They fell for the bait as he weaved around to their right and getting a swift strike with his elbow followed with a chop. This caused the partners to stagger but Deoxys did not relent, continuing with a powerful kick sending them away. They yelled in pain as they were launched back and focused on stopping themselves from hitting the stadium wall. The legendary pokemon chased after them going in for a hit but was surprised to see they were ready for a counter-attack. They moved out of the way and almost hit Deoxys but he dodged before they could make contact.

The two pokemon parted from each other and gained some distance, the crowd cheered and clapped as they watched the exciting battle unfold. Deoxys was impressed by how fast they were catching on, "Good, good, not so bad is it?."

The partners floated in place, and told Deoxys, "Yeah, but it's pretty complicated, so much to focus and manage all at once."

"Trust me, it's not as bad as it seems. It'll become second nature to you in no time."

"I hope, or else I might lose."

Deoxys prepared himself, waiting for their move. Bisharp charged at Deoxys, throwing rapid punches followed with a kick. The enemy dodged them all, gliding out of the way and waiting for them to keep up. The dark steel pokemon zoomed towards Deoxys, getting a better handle on the flying and doing another attack. This time, Deoxys barely dodged by a hair, taking note of their improvement. The partners concentrated, attempting to generate a special attack and it proved successful when the pokemon's arms started to glow white. The pokemon spun around and slashed with his arms, generating air slash projectiles which moved towards Deoxys.

Samuel's pokemon didn't have time to react to the incoming projectiles and got hit by them. The attacks somewhat hurt, Deoxys brushed away the smoke and saw Bisharp floating there, not doing anything.

" _Sweet! If that worked, let's try something else._ " The partners thought, cupping their hands to their side and focusing as a ball of energy formed between their hands. " _Alright, just concentrate on a Focus blast, that's all I gotta do._ " They told themselves, focusing more energy into the blast before firing it out. The ball of energy shot out, rapidly moving towards Deoxys in a blur. The pokemon didn't even want to try blocking this one and evadeded. Unfortunately, the blast didn't stop and moved directly towards the audience who screamed in fear of the incoming attack. Daniel and Bisharps eyes were wide as they yelled "No!" and raced after their attack but it was too late.

Or so they thought, the attack was highlighted and redirected upwards where it shot out of the arena and exploded. Deoxys dropped his arm, having to redirect the attack himself using his psychic abilities. The psychic turned to Bisharp and chuckled, "Way to go. You single-handedly almost got some people killed, good job." Deoxys sassed, somewhat tempting him. The partners expressions dropped with fear and horror at the realization that Deoxys was right and they almost killed some people. "Oh well, there's always another time, but, that's assuming you'll get the chance. But come, let us continue this battle, I'm starting to have fun."

Bisharp did not move, his arms dropped and lost his willingness to fight. "No, I don't want to fight, not here."

"What? Where else are we gonna fight? This, unfortunately, is our battle arena."

"I don't give a damn about this! Innocents were almost harmed and we're restricted here, wouldn't you rather fight in a bigger place? A bigger arena?"

"Well, now that you put it that way. I would very much like to fight in a bigger arena. So I'll take you up on your offer. But where would we fight, pray tell?"

"I don't know, away from here, that's for sure."

"Wow, specific. Alright, we shall look together, if they decide to bring their little helicopters to watch us, so be it. I won't take responsibility for what happens to them if they get caught in our fight."

They both agreed, and like that, they ascended upwards and flew away in search for a better place to fight. The two pokemon flew around, searching for a suitable place to fight, there was nothing but forests surrounding them and it become aggravating seeing nothing but trees until they discovered something, a different terrain. Past the lush forests and tall trees was a massive terrain. A rocky terrain that stretched outwards for perhaps miles or at least kilometers. There seemed to be no pokemon, or at least none in sight and there were plenty of plateaus to add variation. They both saw it right away and immediately agreed upon this location. They lowered themselves down until they landed and inspected the place, all the pokemon nearby scrambled away which was just fine for the two of them.

"So, will this do?" Deoxys asked, Bisharp confirmed the answer.

"With no one around, I don't have to worry about holding back and no one will get hurt."

"Alright hotshot, let's see what you got. I believe we're done warming up."

They both leaped away from each other and gained some distance but kept each other in their sights. Once they landed once more, they assumed their fighting stances and prepared themselves.

Back in the stadium, the news reporters were already prepping their helicopters as predicted to follow them and continue broadcasting the fight. In the arena, Samuel had gone next to his little brother who was still inside the aura bubble mimicking Bisharp, as they were one, and they were equal.

The wind blew against them and they itched to move, they anticipated their opponents. They started to move towards each other, starting off with a light jog to a full blown sprint as they closed the gap between them quickly. Once they were close, they attacked each other with punches and kicks in an intense close-quarter combat sequence. They would repeatedly attack, block/reflect, and attack once more and attempted to exploit any opening.

Bisharp hopped back, baiting for his opponent to come close for an attack but Deoxys was not so foolish, spinning backwards as he threw a chunk of the ground at his enemy to distract him. The distraction was successful and the legendary rammed Bisharp into a nearby rock. The dark steel pokemon managed to squeeze his leg through and shove the psychic back with a kick. Bisharp used this chance to go on the offensive, zooming forward and attacking Deoxys. The legendary blocked it, but was pushed back as he was hailed with an chain of attacks. Samuel's pokemon redirected one of Bisharps arms and came in for a hit, Daniel's responded by hitting back. Their fists collided, generating a small shockwave which blew the dust away.

Bisharp hopped up to do a high spin kick, Deoxys ducked under as his opponents leg sweeped by. Bisharp used the momentum to spin around again and bring his hand down for a downward chop. The psychic changed to defense mode, blocking the chop and switching to attack mode as he attempted to get a gut shot which was caught. They spun backwards away from each other to gain distance. Samuel's pokemon tore up the ground behind him, lifting it up and tossing it at Daniel's. The Dark steel pokemon rose into the air to dodge and circled around in an attempt to get behind Deoxys but his opponent was prepared. Deoxys threw more and more at Bisharp until there was something headed towards him in all directions.

The pokemon gave a powerful shout as his aura erupted from his body and destroyed the rocks. The partners cupped their hands against their side once more and attempted to build up another attack. " _Let's try a hyper beam!_ "

"You think I'm stupid enough to let you charge an attack?" Deoxys mocked, flying up and advancing towards Bisharp. The dark steel pokemon panicked, thinking they couldn't dodge but had to try. With enough willpower, the partners managed to move out of the way and once Deoxys was past, they chased after him. Samuel's pokemon turned around only to meet Bisharp face to face and ready to launch his attack.

"Take this!" He yelled, putting his hands to Deoxys face as the desired Hyper Beam was launched and the golden trail of energy soared into the sky. The beam dissipated and there was a cloud of smoke where Deoxys was. "Got him good." The partners complimented themselves, waiting to see Deoxys state once the smoke clears. The smoke began to be blown away by the wind and Deoxys state surely shocked them both as they did not expect to see what they saw.

Surrounding the psychic was the protect shield with steam emitting from it and no damage on the pokemon whatsoever. Deoxys deactivated the shield and grabbed ahold of Bisharp, then throwing him into a large rock.

The partners groaned in pain, looking to Deoxys who hovered close with his arms crossed. "H-how?! I thought we destroyed it!" They questioned, gritting their teeth.

Deoxys answered, "I thought you figured out it's natural to me. If I lose one, I could simply make another, granted it takes time and I had an ample enough time to regenerate it. Oh, and don't think I'll be letting you get another one of those 'Blood Moon Slash's' on me."

The partners looked down to the ground, cursing to themselves and trying to figure out what to do.

"Well, do your worst I suppose, come on out and finish this." Deoxys descended and landed on the floor with his arms crossed still. Bisharp pushed himself out and landed in front of Deoxys, not saying a word. Deoxys stood there, waiting for his opponent to attack but nothing. "Oh come on, don't tell me you give up."

Bisharp looked up and prepared a stance, "Nope, on the contrary." the partners put their hands together and focused, focused on an attack they wanted. A puff of smoke exploded next to Bisharp and from it, emerged a duplicate of Bisharp.

"A clone? Interesting…" Deoxys stepped back to distance himself from the other two. The clone smashed his hands into the ground and caused the ground beneath Deoxys to crumble. The real one followed it up by using psychic on the crumbled ground and lifting it up to knock the pokemon off-balance. Their stunt threw the legendary into the air, leaving him exposed for an attack. The clone ran up, jumping into the air and preparing to smash Deoxys into the ground regardless if they hit the shield or not. Deoxys was not going to allow this, wrapping his stretched arms around the clone and slingshotting him to the floor. The real one leaped into the air as well, attempting to hit him while he was distracted but the legendary was not going to have any of that, grabbing him as well and hurling him towards the clone.

The two made contact and coughed out in pain, the one on top noticed Deoxys coming down quickly and ready to pummel them both. They were quick to move out of the way as Samuel's pokemon smashed against the floor and shattered it more. The Bisharps were swift to get back on their feet, closing in on Deoxys together and throwing a punch. The opponent switched to defense mode and caught both their fists and kept them in place as his arms were pushed back slightly. The legendary hopped up slightly until he was above them and switching to attack mode as he did an instantaneous split kick hitting both targets. The kick was hard enough to crack the Bisharps' masks. With Daniel, the attacked managed to leave a serious bruise on Daniel's cheek in the same place where Bisharp was hit. They were both knocked away by the attack and lie on the floor as a result.

"I'd like to deal with one for now." Deoxys stated, turning to one of the Bisharps and using his powers to blow said duplicate further away until he couldn't be seen. "And now to deal with you." The remaining Bisharp ran up and did a downward kick which struck the psychic's shield. He deactivated it, letting the fool drop and getting him with an uppercut knocking him away. Once making contact with the floor, the Bisharp began to roll backwards uncontrollably until he came to an abrupt stop against a wall. Samuel's pokemon walked towards him slowly, Bisharp leaned back, trying to stay away until he noticed the other duplicate incoming towards them. Bisharps eyes widened, moving out of the way quick which caught Deoxys attention. Deoxys turned around and zoomed into the air as the duplicate smashed his flaming arms into the ground and using blast burn to erupt the ground in flames. Deoxys remained in the air and looked downwards to spot a total of three Bisharps now on the ground. "And the numbers just keep on growing."

The Bisharps launched themselves towards Deoxys, but he did not budge and remained in place as they all struck the shield simultaneously. They continued to attack relentlessly but to no avail, the legendary waited for the right moment to strike and switched to Speed mode. Once he discovered the right moment, Deoxys kicked at one of the three and switched to attack mode with added momentum. The attack was too fast and ended up decapitating the duplicate as it exploded in a puff of smoke.

"Two more." Deoxys said to himself as the the remaining Bisharp closed in from behind. The legendary went out of his way to block both and push one of the two away as he attacked the other. Deoxys began to lead one strike into another as he unleashed a devastating combo decimating the Bisharp and making it disappear in a cloud of smoke. "And now for the last one."

The remaining Bisharp approached and yelled as he prepared to attack but the Deoxys was ready and was much faster.

Deoxys spun around and threw a punch, unknowingly punching the opposing pokemon so hard that his fist rammed right through and punctured him. This one did not disappear as Bisharp looked upon Deoxys with eyes of pain and agony.

"Sorry, didn't think I would run you through but I suppose it is what it is, isn't it?" Bisharp said nothing, grabbing ahold of Deoxys' arms as he began to shake repeatedly. The life drained from the Bisharp as he fell limp and Deoxys could see the pokemon had died. Deoxys was disappointed and not really sure what to think about the fact that he just killed his best opponent yet. "What a letdown, I honestly expected a lot more from you."

"If you wanted more, TAKE THIS!" A voice from far away announced, Deoxys eyes shot open as the impaled Bisharp turned into smoke. Samuel's pokemon whipped around in fear as he saw Bisharp rapidly coming towards him, so fast in fact he couldn't move out of the way. "BLOOD MOON SLASH!" And like that, Bisharp struck the shield with a mighty punch with his arm covered in seperate red entity. The impact caused crimson lightning to shoot out in every direction. The shield cracked and became weaker as the clash of power ensued. Bisharp and Daniel yelled together as they raised their voice slowly and put more effort into the attack until finally, the shield shattered in front of them. Deoxys was wide-eyed as he witnessed, unable to fight back. Bisharp opened his hand and aimed it directly at Deoxys and muttered to himself, "Variant two."

A humongous magenta colored beam shot out from the palm of his hand and blasted against Deoxys. The beam was so bright it gave everything within the general area a purple tint. The beam raced to the ground and shoving Deoxys forward until it made impact with the ground. The beam then generated a gigantic explosion which shook the entire area and created a massive shockwave so powerful it pushed Bisharp back mid-air.

The news helicopters saw the explosion and moved towards it and ran right into the shockwave which created some turbulence for them. But they managed to regain control and fly to the arena and discovered both pokemon and trained their cameras on them as a result. The entire arena saw Bisharp floating there and saw both Daniel and his partner were still assuming the same position. The smoke had faded to reveal Deoxys buried in the ground and steam emitting from his body, he was more bruised than ever and somewhat charred due to the attack. Deoxys let out a very annoyed and angry groan as he managed to get back up, though somewhat shaky.

Samuel's pokemon looked to his opponent and clenched his fists tightly as he observed his opponent descending to his level. Deoxys spoke up, "I'm not even going to be angry this time, but what the hell just happened."

Daniel smirked and both partners provided the explanation, "It was when you knocked me away, when I was blown away so you can focus on the clone. I generated two more clones as a distraction to fight you. In the meantime, I went into hiding, secretly charging up Blood Moon Slash to take down that shield. Though it was a patch job, I had to make it quick cuz you mowed through the clones quick. But as you saw, it proved successful, I couldn't think of anything else powerful enough to take down that shield so I stuck with my trump card and used it wisely."

" _What the hell, he managed to come up with a plan to take down my shield right after it regenerated? He's a quick thinker… but that shouldn't have happened! I made sure I wouldn't allow it!_ "

"Want a simple explanation? You messed up the moment you took your eyes off the real deal. And your paid the price for it, goes to show that you don't underestimate us. Now I won't have to worry about that cumbersome shield anymore and fight you freely."

The ending of the explanation made Deoxys begin to chuckle, his laughing confused Bisharp and they demanded an explanation. "You know, I just realized, coming out here set you free of your restrictions and you're able to go all out. But unfortunately for you, the same goes for me."

"What?!"

Deoxys assumed a pose and concentrated, his body began to vibrate as a blue mist was generated from his body and outlined him. The mist generated a steaming sound of sorts and once it was done, Deoxys got into a fighting stance. "Not often do I get to use this, if not at all. So be glad you're the first, are you familiar with the attack 'Superpower'?"

"No…"

"You're gonna get a taste of it." Deoxys practically disappeared as Bisharp was struck incredibly hard through multiple rocks. The hit made both partners spit out and their breath hitched as a result. They tried to regain control, barely managing to catch onto the ground with their hands and slow themselves down. The legendary appeared right above them and bashed their head into the floor. If the initial hit didn't give them a concussion, the sudden impact with the floor would as everything began to ring and they felt a massive headache. Daniel's head started to bleed from the impact and causing the blood to trickle down his face.

Deoxys kicked them away as hard as he could, launching them away and followed in pursuit. The legendary quickly closed the gap and kicked Bisharp again like a soccer ball into a plateau. The crash caused them both to cough out, for Daniel, he had coughed out a bit of blood. Samuel observed his younger brother and noticed his clothes turn a little red and grew increasingly concerned as he watched. Samuel's pokemon unleashed a ferocious, relentless series of punches in various locations as he dug the pokemon deeper and deeper into the plateau. Bruises and cracks formed in places where Bisharp was hit and his partner would only increasingly become more bloodied and bruised with each hit. The cameras were turned away from the poor trainer as the scene became unsafe for viewing.

Deoxys did not let up and forced his opponent to start screaming and crying in excruciating pain. They couldn't fight back or find the opportunity, the psychic grabbed ahold of them and threw them away as hard as he could. Bisharp only slid on the ground and almost paralyzed. The screaming and yelling had terrified Samuel and were loud enough for some audience members to hear. The partners tried to get back up but stumbled forward and catching themselves, they looked up to see their predator nonchalantly walking towards them. All of a sudden, the world flipped upside down for them as extreme vertigo kicked in and they could barely process their surroundings, the symptom caused them to lose control and collapse to the floor. They rhythed in pain as they tried to regain their senses.

The legendary stopped only a few meters in front, and he breathed heavily as the mist disappeared and he attempted to catch his breath. He watched in pity as his opponent was still conscious but lying there painfully. Fortunately, they regained their senses but they were now light-headed, their stomach churned and everything hurt like hell. Daniel had coughed up a little bit of blood as they pushed themselves back up through sheer effort and willpower.

Deoxys commented, "So, what other tricks do you got this time? Perhaps another move? Maybe I'm attacking a fake? What is it, I know you're persistent." They didn't respond, only panting as they adjusted their eyes to focus on Deoxys.

Daniel and his partner went into thought, thinking to themselves, " _So… it was only a temporary power up… but he got us good… now we're in the shit condition and he'll win when we're like this. We need more power…_ " They stood up straight and entered a pose, Deoxys stood there curious of what stunt they'll pull this time.

The partners gritted their teeth, they focused on attaining more power. Deep down, they felt it, a reservoir of power untouched and ready to be used. They reached for it, reaching for the stones power which resulted in the aura exploding from Bisharp's body. It flowed rapidly upwards as the intensity of the flow only increased. After a bit, a small electric bolt appeared in front of them but it faded quickly. They were nearly there, they only had to push a little bit more, they reached and reached and were so close. Then, when it was there and they were ready, they gave out a powerful shout as field of green electricity emanated from them. They realized it required an immense amount of concentration to keep this in-tact but they felt stronger now.

Deoxys watched in awe at the sight and spoke up, "So, what's this supposed to be? You can use lightning moves as well?"

They answered, "No, it's our chance to beat you."

"Oh? This should be interesting then. So, if you can keep fighting, then give it your all and don't hold back!"

"That's the plan."

Both adversaries backed up, assuming a fighting position and faced each other, their eyes matched gazes and they were both itching to fight. The cameras from the news helicopters were still pointed at them so the entire world could still watch the battle.

"Let's start again with Round 2." The partners exclaimed, adjusting their position slightly to get ready.

They launched themselves towards Deoxys at blinding speeds, this made their target flinch and a deep cut wound appeared on Deoxys' face. Behind him, a rock was destroyed because Bisharp had crashed into it and completely decimated it. The dark steel pokemon got up from the rubble, turning around to face his enemy. Deoxys was shocked at their speed even more this time as it had increased, even he couldn't catch what they did.

Deoxys mocked, "Don't think you're gonna beat me!" He zoomed towards Bisharp, hailing the pokemon with several attacks. Bisharp's reflexes were sharper and he reacted to the attacks, weaving out of the way of each one before spiraling over Deoxys. The dark steel pokemon spun around, shooting himself towards Deoxys. The psychic hopped out of the way, moving in to attack. Deoxys' attack was caught by Bisharp and the two started to exchange blows back and forth. Not only did they fight rapidly, they moved around, constantly chasing each other and attacking. Unfortunately for Deoxys, he was on the defensive as Daniel's pokemon was pushing him back with ease and he was losing too much ground.

The legendary pokemon, in a fit of rage took to the sky as he raised his hands upwards and built up an attack. "GO TO HELL!" He yelled in a panic, generating a large ball of psychic energy and throwing it down. Bisharp extended one of his arms, and the infamous crimson blade shot out and he did a diagonal slash creating a projectile to intercept the sphere. The attacks clashed and generated an explosion that faded just as fast as it had arrived. Deoxys looked down to at Bisharp to see now damage sustained, "You dare mock me!" Deoxys closed in and was met with Bisharp leaping towards him as well. They rammed past each other and bounced away, turning around to come face to face once more. Daniel's pokemon moved first and started assaulting Deoxys with ferocious attacks. Deoxys could barely block.

Bisharp brought up it's knee, hitting Deoxys in the gut and followed it with a right hook across. He followed the hook with a backhand elbow strike and using the built up momentum, smashed his fist into Deoxys' face sending him back. Samuel's pokemon yelled as loud as it can in fury as he used his powers to tear up the entire area and send an endless barrage of boulders and rocks towards Bisharp. The pokemon hopped back and proceeded to do back-handsprings away from the attack to dodge. The psychic was becoming desperate, breaking more rocks, using them, re-using them and broke more and more so he can keep tormenting Bisharp with attacks.

Daniel's pokemon leaped forward and began to run quickly towards Deoxys, the pokemon's speed made the legendary stop and attempted to strike him. The dark steel pokemon responded the same, jumping forward and throwing his own punch which collided with Deoxys'. Bisharp overpowered his opponent in strength and pushed him backwards by following through with the punch. Samuel's pokemon hopped up and brought his fist down but was caught by Bisharp using only one arm to hold him in place. Daniel's held on with the second arm and twirled his arms in a way which made Deoxys spin uncontrollably. Bisharp moved into position quickly and for his final attack, he attacked Deoxys with a devastating sideways kick.

Deoxys crashed into a large rock and caused it to cave in on itself, burying the pokemon. Bisharp stood still, catching his breath and calming himself down and awaiting his opponents next move. The rubble atop Deoxys shot into the air as the pokemon forced himself out, clearly not happy with the way things are turning out. "Alright, that's it! I'm gonna crush you until there's nothing left!" Deoxys shouted, using Superpower to cover his body with the blue mist once more.

Bisharp could react this time, seeing Deoxys coming towards him at blinding speeds but it was barely enough. They threw punches at each other quickly, moving from one move into the next as they moved around slightly. Each punch they landed on each other felt like it shook the entire world (exaggeration). The psychic head-butted his opponent back and pursued him. Bisharp recovered quickly enough to stop Deoxys and continue their combat. The Dark Steel pokemon did a high kick hitting Deoxys from under the head. The hit moved Deoxys away but the pokemon counterattacked by using a stretched backhand whip attack with his arm. Deoxys' opponent backflipped out of the way.

Samuel's pokemon used his powers to make the ground underneath Bisharp shatter and cause him to get stuck in it. They tried to wiggle their way out but Deoxys was not yet down, breaking more of the floor, tearing it apart using his psychic abilities. He gathered and lifted rocks all around him, everything within the vicinity was ripped out and thrown atop of his enemy. Bisharp had his back against the floor as he was holding back the rock which only became exponentially heavier by the second. Deoxys wouldn't let up, adding more and more, more and more until he had created an enormously sized boulder crushing Bisharp alive.

Underneath, the partners were gasping for air and coughing, they were at the brink of hyperventilating from trying to catch their breath so much. Bisharp could barely keep the boulder up, his arms were burning up like never before, it was excruciating at best and they shook ferociously. The boulder was already crushing him a little bit and they were dug deep into the ground and only managed to create a small pocket for themselves to hold up the boulder so it doesn't kill them. The weight was becoming too much, and slowly but surely, the partners began to accept their death whether they were ready or not.

"Come now! What will you do THIS time?! Surely you can't lift that up, it's too much for you!" Deoxys mocked, enjoying himself now that victory was so close. "Come on! I'm not done with my fun yet, satisfy me more! Give me a real fight!"

The partners processed the words but couldn't do anything about it. At their best, they're only barely staying alive without getting crushed. They couldn't will themselves to push themselves even more, they were already in enough excruciating pain as it is. They couldn't move from where they're at or they're done for, and this might be it, a bloody and gruesome death for all to see.

The stadium saw Deoxys hovering in the air as the camera focused on the massive boulder crushing the dark steel pokemon. Everyone was at the edge of their seats and concerned, was the psychic pokemon going to win?

"COME ON, DANIEL! COME ON! YOU CAN DO IT!" George yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping his friend would hear it, but he wasn't the only one. Soon, Andres, Zach, Samuel, Serena and everyone in the stadium started to cheer for Daniel. They all began to chant his name and wishing for him to defeat Deoxys once and for all.

The partners opened their eyes, though it sounded like whispers, they could hear them. They could hear everyone cheering them on and believing in them to win. Their names, the audience was chanting for them to win, everyone wanted them to be victorious. Now that everyone was counting on him, the partners couldn't afford to let them down now, they had to try.

"If it's a real fight you want… IT'S A REAL FIGHT YOU'RE GONNA GET!" Bisharp exclaimed, shouting, yelling as loud as he possibly could in pain and determination. The green electricity became more sporadic as it started to trace itself around the boulder itself. The partners shouted, generating a blood curdling yell. The rock began to lift up just slightly, and when they got enough room to move, they did. Using their power, they began to drill through the giant rock, cutting through it with little difficulty as they continued their yells. Soon enough, they shot out from the top of the rock and into the air. The pokemons green electricity was replaced with a larger blue static field.

The two pokemon rammed into each other, bouncing off one another multiple times before Bisharp gained the upper-hand and ran right into Deoxys. Bisharp shoved and pushed Deoxys higher and higher into the sky until they faded into the clouds. The only visuals the camera had was of Daniel fighting with Bisharp.

In the clouds, Bisharp unleashed a hellish onslaught of punches upon Deoxys who squinted from the pain. Each punch left a bruise, each punch leaving a mark and whatever attack he could manage on Bisharp had no effect. Daniel's pokemon dragged the legendary along with a punch and throwing him out of the cloud but Bisharp still followed in pursuit. Bisharp performed a powerful horse kick launching him away. With each attack, with each movement, they grunted in pain, everything hurt. Moving hurt and existing hurt, it felt as though they were being ripped apart alive but were allowed to keep their consciousness to suffer.

Deoxys raced towards Bisharp and the twos hands connected as they pushed furiously against each other but the dark steel pokemon was significantly stronger than the other and forcefully shove-kicked Deoxys higher into the atmosphere.

The news anchors reported that they had lost sight of the pokemon and the only visuals they had was Daniel fighting like Bisharp was and experiencing the same exact pain. The stadium still cheered for the momentous moment but the news anchors questioned how high they will go.

Both pokemon had risen to the lower parts of the mesosphere, Bisharp hunted down Deoxys, letting out a throat-tearing yell as he chased. Deoxys couldn't outrun him and so, the enemy caught up and starting beating the psychic senselessly with mighty blows. The legendary pokemon had managed to wiggle his way around and get another ineffective strike but this irritated the partners, causing them to growl. Using the stone's abilities, Bisharp used teleport to warp around Deoxys multiple times in succession to confuse him. Then, when it had appeared Bisharp disappeared for good, the pokemon turned out to be behind him quite a distance away, building up an attack.

"HYPER BLAST! (Hyper Beam + Fire Blast)" They shouted the attack name as they put their hands forward and unleashed a devastating death beam. The beam only grew larger as it approached, and it was so incredibly bright that the people below could see it. Deoxys screamed in fear as the blast made contact and distorted around him. An explosion was generated from the impact point though not quite large.

Everything turned quiet and the two partners float there, out of breath and wheezing. The electricity calmed down, changing from blue to green until there was nothing at all, only the aura remaining. They looked down and realized how high in the air they were which made them get dizzy as a result. They mentally noted to not look down or they would lose concentration, but they needed to focus on the fight and make sure Deoxys was down or not.

The smoke cleared and within, sure enough, the pokemon was still standing more injured with cracks in various places and burn marks but regardless, he held something between his hands. A strange multi-colored orb that spun in place continuously. "Now it's my turn!" Deoxys exclaimed, putting his hands up and allowing the orb to expand at a concerning rate until it became one gigantic orb of energy. Bisharp was shocked and not sure what he was looking at and wondered how Deoxys is still up. "Quite a lot of power you put into that attack, lucky for me, I was able to absorb most of it with this next attack and make it my own!"

The partners did not say anything, still attempting to even remotely breath because of the altitude and pressure. Deoxys looked around and spotted Lumiose City down below and commented, "Huh, isn't that the place we were just at?" Deoxys pointed out, Bisharp looked and it was indeed Lumiose City.

"What… about it?" Bisharp questioned, trying to stabilize himself.

"It would sure be a shame if I threw this at the city, who knows what kind of damage it would do." The statement made their eyes widen in fear and shock as they realized what he was gonna do.

"No…! Leave them out of this! This is a fight between us! No one else has to get involved!"

"Too late." Deoxys chucked the energy ball downwards making the partners mentally curse to themselves. They flew around to the front of it and pushed against the blast. They attempted to slow the attack down or even better, stop it but it was useless. They had become so fragile and weakened by the fighting that it was like pushing against a wall with sticks for arms. Their arms felt so weak and nimble now and felt like they could snap and give out at any moment. The partners gritted their teeth as they began to strain. Visible strain marks appeared on their bodies and no good their effort was, it still wasn't doing anything to the blast.

"What's wrong? Can't push it back? I can understand why, that blast is the culmination of two of our strongest attacks! You'd be damned to push it back like you are now. So tell me? What do you plan to do? What do you plan to do now that you're weak and pathetic the way you are?" Deoxys mocked, observing his attack descend rapidly, pushing Bisharp downwards. The pokemon didn't respond, solely concentrating on stopping the attack but it was no good. They were losing their senses and the only thing they could see or feel was the energy blast. Their entire hand was consumed by the attack and it was scorched but it wouldn't stop burning them. They pushed more and more but it just felt like they were using a compress to shatter a stick as more and more of their arms were consumed by the attack and were burnt.

Everything started to turn to black for the partners as they could barely hold themselves together, their lightheadedness became extreme and they lost all sense of themselves. Unfortunately, when they attempted to push, that was the final straw that broke the camel's back. Their body gave out completely and their breathe hitched as they tried to gasp for air but couldn't breathe. Bisharp's body was completely taken in by the blast and his whole body was being burnt, Daniel's body started to steam and turn red.

" _I guess this is how we go out, we go out fighting… at least we tried, we gave it our all. Nobody could ask any more of us, do I have any regrets? Maybe, I guess never directly telling Serena about my feelings would be the thing I regret most. Oh well, at least my name would be remembered in some shape or form, it's been a good life. But, I guess now's the time to say goodbye, Andres, Zach, George, Samuel… and Serena._ " Daniel thought to himself, and he felt everything disappear and there was nothing left.

Samuel reached out to his sibling, trying to shake him and repeatedly tapping him hard to get him to wake up. He called out to him, over and over again as he started to fear for the worst. He couldn't even touch the boy anymore because he was still burning up. The audience gasped, fearful for the boy and Bisharp as they looked up to see the energy blast. Tears started to swell up in her eyes as Serena yelled out as loud as she possibly could. "DANIEL!" She yelled, never thinking she could reach that volume and hoping he would wake up.

The calling of his name echoed in his mind, first, he heard Samuel then it was Serena. There was a little bit of feeling after all but it hurt. The cries continued, and images flashed in his mind of all the people he loved and cared about. " _No! I can't go out like this! They all need me to keep on going! I refuse to die! I promised them all I was going to win! I WON'T LET IT END THIS WAY!_ "

The partners brought themselves up, eyes wide open with dilated pupils. They shot their limbs outwards as they let out a ferocious cry, resulting in their blue aura erupting from their body like a volcano. They continued to yell, as the green lightning appeared and was quickly replaced by the blue. Deoxys was shocked to see the attack becoming increasingly smaller and closing in on itself. They clench their fists, gritted their teeth and unleashed their most powerful shout yet as uncontrollable red lighting surrounded them now. They continued to absorb the attack until it had enveloped Bisharp in a coat of energy.

Deoxys was hit instantly before he could even process it, in front of him was Bisharp who landed a quick strike upon him. Deoxys' face cracked more but the pokemon was not done, practically disappearing behind Deoxys and shooting out the coat of energy into a powerful concentrated blast. The legendary pokemon was shot down back to earth as he was enveloped in flames upon re-entry. Bisharp quickly followed suit, chasing after his opponent at lightning-fast speeds. Bisharp slammed Deoxys down to the floor and distorted the entire ground in which Deoxys landed. The area caved in on itself as rocks were lifted into the air and the area was surrounded by a bright light.

The psychic pokemon warped away to perimeter of the impact point, yelling as loud as he can cas well, "BIISSHAARPPP!" As he used Superpower to increase his strength and zoom towards the enemy.

"DEOOOXXYSSS!" Bisharp yelled, incoming towards his opponent. They shouted in unison as they rapidly approached one another and threw a punch. Their punches connected and they rammed past each other. Time seemed to slow when they barely passed each other, the force of the connected strikes created a ridiculously powerful shockwave blowing everything back and ruining the battlefield even more. A deep cut wound appeared on both partners left cheek, causing Daniel's face to be more bloody as a result.

Once the chaos was over, both the pokemon slid roughly across the ground away from each other. They groaned loudly and could not bring themselves to move. They were both stiff, sore, injured, and exhausted. There was complete silence and both participants knew they were down and someone had to get up to claim victory. Deoxys slowly moved his arms in place and tried to push himself up but the task proved more difficult than expected. The legendary only managed to lift himself up slightly before collapsing to the floor. Now it was Bisharp's turn.

They tried to move but it felt like life was punishing them for even trying. They had to fight back, this was now the make it or break it moment, if they didn't get get up, everything they fought for would have been for nothing. The realization made them fight through the pain, struggling to push themselves up. However, just like Deoxys, they collapsed to the floor and tried to catch their breath. For a split second, they contemplated just lying there and relaxing because it hurt too much but they mentally slapped themselves for thinking that. They needed to get up, NOW, because this was it. They weren't ready for the pain but they went through with it.

Using every ounce of willpower they had, they forced themselves to their feet despite the agonizing pain. They lifted their head up and raised their voice in a powerful victory cry of pain. The cry was heard by everything, all other noise was silenced. "I… WIN!" The partners yelled together, wincing as much as possible and holding back the urge to vomit and collapse.

The audience within the stadium, no, the whole world which was watching the battle clapped, applauding for the momentous victory of the trainer and his pokemon. The partners arms both became limp and fell to their sides, simply hanging there. The aura from them both disappeared and all of a sudden, both Bisharp and Deoxys were teleported back to the arena where they would fall down. The cameras were pointed at Daniel, showing the boy's pale face with his barely open eyes turning back to normal.

The boy fell back and was fortunately caught by his caring older brother. Samuel caught Daniel in his arms, smiling and immensely proud of his younger sibling. "You did it." Was all he said, Daniel barely formed a smile before losing consciousness.

"DANIEL BARSONY, IS THE WINNER!" The announcer declared to the whole world, the crowd erupted into a thunderous applause this time, every person got out of their seats to show their respect to the incredible young trainer. Serena was not going to stay up there, already leaving the stands to head down.

Samuel stood up, carrying his younger brother and walking over to the exhausted pokemon. Deoxys and Bisharp turned their head towards each other, before the former spoke up, "You know… it's funny… I remember the days when you were a small and pathetic little Pawniard… and look at you now. Samuel told me one day that you would be my greatest opponent, the person to take me down… I initially scoffed at that idea but I could see it now. You have defeated me, fair and square… congratulations…"

Bisharp processed the words, touched by them and willed himself to respond, "Thank you." Deoxys looked up to the sky, admiring it's beauty and enjoying something other than victory for once. Samuel turned to the audience as the applauds continued, never thinking he would see the day. The man heard incoming footsteps and looked to see Serena running over as fast as she could. She stopped in front of Samuel, only keeping her eyes on her dear friend who was badly injured.

"Daniel…" she called out, the boy opened his eyes slightly to look at her and requested to be put down. Samuel gently put his brother down, helping him sit up and regain his balance. Serena pulled Daniel into a deep hug, bringing him as close as she possibly could within her embrace and sobbing. The boy's eyes opened more at this and he would very much like to return the hug but he was sore as hell.

After a little bit, all of Daniel's friends had come down to the arena to congratulate him in person. With some help, both pokemon and Daniel were able to stand on their feet but they required everyone else's support. Daniel was drowning in compliments from everyone but he told everyone to give Bisharp most of the credit because they were in it together, not as individuals. Deoxys went ahead and told Bisharp and his partner that the whole stunt with the energy ball and throwing it down was a bluff. He never intended to throw it at the city and actually aimed at some remote location or planned to blow it up prematurely. He only did it to get them angry and see what they would do about it which did not sit well with the them.

Samuel felt it was time to reward his little brother with something special. He opened up his bag which he was carrying to reveal a light-brown jacket and a envelope inside. Everyone there turned to the man who gently opened up the letter and unfolded a piece of paper. Daniel looked at the envelope itself and noticed something which shocked it, "To: Daniel, From: Dad"

This made his eyes widen and he started to piece together what this was. Once his older brother was done un-folding the paper, he turned it around to reveal a letter written. Daniel squinted, doing his best to read but couldn't focus enough. Sameul took it upon himself to read it to his younger brother.

The letter read: "Dear Daniel, It's your father, if you're getting this, that means you've just achieved one of the greatest accomplishments in your life. Whether it be you getting married or something else you passionately worked towards. I write this as a present for you, I know it's not much but I hope it still holds a special place in your heart. Asides from this letter, I wanted to gift to you my jacket, the same one you always wanted to have as a kid. I figured I would give this to you so you can finally don the jacket I wore, it's important to me because it was from my father before me so keep it safe, okay? But, other than that, I would like to say, congratulations Daniel. I know you worked hard on your goal and I'm more proud than anyone that you accomplished it. I will always be by your side, always. Love, Michael Barsony"

Samuel formed a bitter smile, remembering their father. The letter was written some time before that fateful day, almost a year or two before it so it's something they've held onto for a long time. Daniel's eyebrows were shot up, no words were said or needed when tears trailed down his cheeks and he silently sobbed. Samuel put the letter away, bringing up the leather jacket for his brother to see. Samuel un-folded it as well, displaying it in its entirety. With everyone's help, Daniel was able to put on his father's jacket and it had a comforting feeling to hit. It was warm, and it felt at home, leaving a content smile on the boys face. Samuel smiled back, seeing their father within Daniel, the jacket made him look a lot like their dad.

Samuel had something to add which was going to surprise everyone, "Also, Daniel, remember the deal I told you I had to make to join the Pokemon League? So, the deal was that I would be an unofficial participant of sorts. I was to act as a final challenge but I could not become champion again. So technically, you became the Kalos League Champion the second you defeated Andres." This unveiled truth shocked everyone and it showed, this was amusing to Samuel but he was not done explaining. "Also, because you beat me, I now bestow upon you, the title of the Unbeatable Champion. You are now the current Champion, congrats bro."

Daniel swallowed the information, that was difficult for him to process and he just looked around trying to come to terms with it. Daniel was whelmed with all the love and attention and the information he didn't know what to do with himself. Everyone enjoyed themselves and celebrated the occasion but something was wrong.

The clouds gathered together over the arena, casting everything under a shadow making the entire area appear darker. It wouldn't be a problem if it didn't happen so quickly, this caught everyone's attention as a result. Lightning rumbled in the sky above and within the very center of it, a constant light was generated. A beam of golden light shot down from the sky and touched down to the arena. It continued to expand in size, growing larger and larger and slowly consuming everyone there in a bright light. Once the beam consumed the arena, it stopped and everyone else within the stadium watched as there was a massive beam taking up a chunk of the arena. All of a sudden, all the damage done to the arena and the audience watching (the blown out eardrums) was restored back to normal creating confusion amongst everyone.

Within it, however, everyone else was inside of a golden room of light with bright white beams shooting downwards repeatedly. The entire area they were in was lit up, and miraculously, Daniel and the other two injured pokemon were rejuvenated. Daniel and Bisharp's cut wound on their cheek had left a noticeable scar. Everyone unblocked their eyes and were not ready to see what they saw.

Towering above them all, was the Pokemon God, Arceus. The group's jaw dropped, witnessing the divinity standing tall. The stare in which the God stared at them with was unlike anything they could describe. It had an indescribable feeling, and the best way it could be explained was overwhelming. "Daniel Barsony, so you are the one that was chosen."

Zach was amazed, already knowing this was something he wouldn't normally see and scrambled to his phone to take a picture. Arceus was aware of this, disintegrating the phone and forcing Zachary out of the room.

"You have been chosen by the previous representatives of Creation, correct?"

Daniel stuttered, barely answering the god, "y-y-yes…"

"And it appears you have completed your trial. Well done."

"W-why are you here?"

"I suppose I must offer an explanation. I shall explain everything to you, starting with your role. As you know, I am the god of all, the creator of everything. Simply put, The God of Creation. Managing life and keeping it in-tact is an exhausting and cumbersome job and I require assistants. That is why I created the guardians of life, the pokemon which you humans deem as 'legendary' are the sworn protectors of the life they protect. I am to manage them and maintain balance with life, but I cannot do this alone. That is where you come in, the purpose of the Stone is to select my representative, someone who will represent creation. Your job is to assist in balancing life and counter destruction."

Daniel was surprised, he, or rather, anyone for that matter didn't really consider the legendaries to play that important of a role but it made sense. This begged the question, "What do you mean 'destruction'?"

"Everything within life require balance, an equilibrium. One cannot have good without evil, One cannot have light without darkness. The very same applies to Creation, with creation comes destruction. My brother, Giratina, is the God of Destruction, managing the life I create and making sure there is enough. However, I have not seen Giratina in quite some time and I fear the worst, I must maintain my duties and I require an assistant to conduct an investigation. That is why I require a representative, they will act as my enforcer of life and creation and prevent total destruction."

Everyone was talking amongst themselves, discussing the information which they just heard. Daniel looked back up to Arceus to ask another question, "So that's where we come in? You need me and Bisharp to help manage life as it is?"

"Correct. I will not force you, and it is ultimately up to you whether you wish to partake in this role. Your trial earlier was to give you a mere taste of what's to come. You felt the pain that others did, that was the intention of the linking sphere you unconsciously used. The sphere you were inside immersed you with Bisharp, linking the two of you together and enhancing each other in every way. You emerged victorious and are suitable to be a proper representative. If you accept, you and your partner will be taken away from everyone, to a remote location only known to myself. There, I will personally teach you the way of the Representative and become a suitable enforcer. If you decline, the stone will be removed from you and relocated. The choice is yours, Daniel Barsony."

Everyone looked to Daniel who was within deep thought as he contemplated to himself. With the stone, Daniel and Bisharp had managed to defeat Deoxys. Without the stone, they wouldn't have the power they used to defeat Deoxys and earn them everything they had just acquired. It wouldn't be right if they used something one time and kept the rewards, it would make them a cop-out. They were chosen, out of everyone else, they were chosen to become Arceus's representative. Then it hit him, with the stone, he would have the power to help everyone, he would have the power to help the people he cared about so much and return the favor more so without it. With that reminder, Daniel exited his thought and spoke up. "Will I be able to see everyone again?"

"That depends, you will inevitably see your friends again, as for how soon… that depends on your performance."

With his question answered, Daniel looked up to Arceus directly and proclaimed to the God, "I accept, I choose to become your representative alongside Bisharp." The answer shocked everyone, thought it wasn't as shocking as originally thought because deep down, they knew he would.

"Very well, but know this: your life will never be the same, you will live a life of constant danger as you fight to protect."

"It was never the same in the first place, so what else is new."

What was surprising, however, was when Andres raised his voice to be heard to say something, "Wait! I would like to join Daniel, I feel as though my Typhlosion and I can assist Daniel with his role and his training. I would also be humbled if you were to teach my Typhlosion to control his power, if you are able to do that I promise you we will fight for your cause as well." Daniel was touched in a strange way, everyone awaited the god's answer and expected a no.

"Very well, you may come along." Arceus' answer put everyone at ease and made them feel more comfortable now. George requested to go along as well and the god responded with, "No one else will be going, we cannot afford to have any distractions during the training process."

Arceus blunt answer made Daniel chuckle, he found it funny and ironic in a way. He joked, "Well, that's that." accepting his fate.

Serena mumbled Daniel's name, causing the representative to turn around and face her. "Why? Why do you have to go? We only just got back together and fixed our friendship, now you're leaving again?"

"Serena, I have to, this is for the betterment of mankind."

"But why? You could just stay here with us, where it's safe." Serena's concern amused Daniel, causing him to giggle a little bit when she said "safe".

"I appreciate your concern, really, but I have to do this for my sake as well. I've spent the last couple years only taking and now, I want to give back to everyone, especially you." Daniel was surprised to see Serena start crying and sniffling now. He moved in to comfort her but she moved in first, embracing the boy first. She gave him a bear hug, the tightest and closest hug she's ever given. She didn't want to let go but she knew he had to go.

"Please… promise me you'll come back…"

"Ofcourse, you have my word, and you know when I make a promise, I intend to keep it." They released each other and smiled, Andres walked up and put his hand on Daniel's shoulder saying they had to go. Daniel nodded towards Andres and then back at Serena. The boy moved back until he was in front of everyone to announce something, "Alright, everyone! I promise you all that I'm going to come back. But I want you guys to make me a promise as well. All of you, every single one of you, I want you guys to work hard towards your goals. I want to come back knowing that I wasn't the only one who's reached their goal. Can you promise me that?"

Everyone together stated, "Promise!", the boy smirked and glancing over to his brother and then Serena. Arceus opened up a portal behind the boys for them to enter through. Daniel, Bisharp, and Andres walked towards the portal, the former two walked through first but Daniel stopped. He turned around one last time, looking everyone over and getting one last good look at the woman he loved. He nodded towards them all walked into the portal as it closed, disappearing from everyone's sight along with the Pokemon God.

 _The end of Nothing to Arceus_

 _Ending Song: Next Stage by AAA_

With Nothing to Arceus effectively over, I would like to thank everyone for sticking around for the ride. It was one hell of a ride but it was an experience for me. I've improved a lot over the course of the story, and without everyone's support, especially my friends, I wouldn't have the motivation to keep on going, so thank you all.

Daniel and Bisharp Theme songs:

-Hero by Flow

-Fist Bump by Douglas Robb from Hoobastank

Nothing to Arceus is not yet done, however! There will be a remaster of chapters 1 and 2 coming soon.

I would humbly request for you to speak your thoughts, explaining what you thought of the story and perhaps your favorite moment? I'd love to hear all of your thoughts. However, the main story of NTA is over and done with, with that out of the way, I would like to say thank you and see you all next time!

 _Daniel Barsony will return in Nothing to Arceus: Aftermath_


	23. Final Update

This is just a quick update. The bonus chapters promised at the end of Chapter 22 will be moved into Aftermath as additional chapters. They will be treated as flashback chapters explaining what has happened between NTA and NTA:Aftermath. So once Chapter 2 has been remastered, I will begin production of Aftermath. As of writing this, I just posted Chapter 1 remastered which has completely replaced the original so I would check it out! it's definitely worth the read and shows how far things have come, whether that be story-wise or me as a writer. But anyways, to summarize, there will not be any bonus chapters and after the remasters, will be Aftermath. So enjoy the remasters and patiently wait for Part 2 to Daniel Barsony's story. You will enjoy it.


	24. Aftermath is released

Nothing to Arceus: Aftermath has begun and Chapter 1 is released. Daniel Barsony's story continues in Aftermath and I am so very excited to get along. Aftermath is where I have put the most thought into so it is my most fleshed out and most developed story yet and I very much hope you all enjoy it as I do. I hope you stick with Daniel's journey through Aftermath as well!


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